Felis Arcanum
by silkendreammaid
Summary: Sometimes happy endings just never seem to come to those who need them most. In the underground city, Alphonse dies and Edward is transformed. Chapter 14: Betrayal
1. Transformation

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist of the characters within.

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**1: Transformation**

When the light disappeared from his brother's hazel eyes, Edward Elric screamed. It echoed around the room and he moved faster than thought as he drove his bladed arm straight through Dante. The intense and fixed stare of his shattered golden eyes shook her to the core and he touched his arm to complete the circle.

She blew apart, falling away from his arm and he stood there for a brief moment before leaping to the side, avoiding Envy's desperate lunge. He dodged again before sidestepping to bring Envy closer, swinging his left leg hard and fast to catch the homunculus on his side. He heard the faint crack of breaking ribs and slid the other way, uncaring as he threw himself at Envy, determined to kill him. They fought across the array, past the scattered remains of Dante and beyond the reach of the dead gaze of his brother.

Edward had no thought in his mind but death. Death to the creature who had taken from him the one thing, the only thing that had kept him sane for the last four years. His reason to be alive, his sole purpose for being. He didn't feel the blood that slipped down his side after Envy sliced his ribs with his blade. He ignored the blood that dripped from the wound above his hairline. He kept on attacking Envy, time after time, strike after strike. He refused to hear anything, to see anything but the amethyst eyes that stared back at him with just as much hatred.

Together they fought in a macabre dance of fall and follow, of leap and lunge and they ended the dance with a single step. Face to face they stood in the centre of the array. Breathing their hatred into each other's faces and feeling the blood that flowed from the twin holes in their chests.

"You killed a brother for a brother," Envy said, the blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth.

"I would kill you again," Edward replied and spat the blood from his mouth into Envy's face.

They fell to their knees still facing each other, impaled together.

"I hate you, pipsqueak."

"Just die, you bastard," Edward mumbled as they slipped down to lie on the floor. Edward moved his left arm around Envy and clapped weakly before placing his single hand on the array.

"Bring back my… Al..." He whispered as the light faded from his eyes.

* * *

It was dark and it was cold. Edward Elric opened one eye and struggled mindlessly to get to his feet. His face hit the floor and he lifted his hand to brace himself. Fur appeared before his eye and he stared at it before trying to stand up again. He felt uneven and he looked to his right, seeking the automail, wondering why he wasn't balanced and saw the slender arm that did not look like his arm.

What the hell is that? He wondered as he stared at it. He lifted it up. It looked like a metal paw and his arm twitched and silver claws appeared. He blinked and twitched again and they retracted. He looked back at the fur he had ignored a moment ago and now realised that he was looking at his left arm. He had a furry arm. He had a metal paw. Why did he suddenly have these things?

There was an emptiness inside him and he couldn't remember anything since he had said good bye to Mustang. How long ago was that, he wondered.

He tried again to stand up and found his legs didn't seem to be obeying his commands. He looked down and saw more fur. Fur everywhere. Matted and caked in blood and dirt but underneath it all, he had fur.

"What the..?" He said and heard the miaow that left his mouth and his brain shut down. Edward Elric panicked. His paws scrabbled against the ground, his tail whipped around and he tried to grab at it, little screeching noises poured from his mouth and he tried to bite at his automail arm. Somehow he managed to get to his four feet and lurched a few steps before he dropped to the ground and shook all over.

Cat. He was a cat. How the hell had this happened? God, Al would love him like this. Cat, how the hell… wait, Al, where's Al? Edward forced himself to stop shaking and slowly stood up. It felt so different being on four legs like this and his tail twitched and he nearly fell over as his balance shifted. Stop it, he tried to tell his tail. _I have to find Al, I don't have time for this right now._ _I'm a cat for fucks sake! Al is more important you idiot._

He took a wobbly step forward and then another. Slowly he inched forward. So dark and cold and he felt the fur fluff slightly, trapping his body warmth. His eye sharpened and he could see further down the passage he was in. His automail hand… no, paw made a soft clicking noise every time it touched the floor. He tried to tread lighter but it didn't seem to make any difference. The tail was really annoying he thought. It was twitchy and it made him stagger occasionally. The only good thing Edward could see from this was that he only had one automail limb now and not two.

He assumed he was still in the underground city and he could feel the gnawing worry in his stomach as he wondered where Al was. His ears twitched around and his hearing was suddenly a lot sharper. Sounds echoed around him and he turned his head trying to pinpoint the origins.

He was definitely a cat he thought and wondered how it had happened. Had he been alchemically altered into a chimera state or was it a more complete transformation? Where was his brother?

He looked up and realised another aspect of his new form. He was small. Cat-sized small. He growled and heard it rumble in his throat. More cat than chimera, he thought. _Why not a dog? I could smell out Al if I was. Where are you, Alphonse?_

"Alphonse!" he tried to say and only heard the despairing miaow. This was starting to wear thin, he thought. _I want some damned answers and I want them now. I want them to appear right here, right now and accompanied by my brother._

He turned the corner and he saw his answers and he screamed.

* * *

Roy Mustang staggered down the steps, his hand pressed over his left eye. Blood poured through his fingers and down his arm and the pain was only equaled by that in his left shoulder. He passed the corpse of Frank Archer and shuddered at the thought of all that automail and the hatred that could drive a man to go to such extremes.

Riza Hawkeye appeared at his side and he waved away her offer of a supporting arm. The sound of tearing material caught his attention and she handed him the sleeve from her coat. He took it with a nodded 'thank you' that set his head to throbbing again and padded it against his face. The blood soaked through but he held it tight, applying as much pressure as he could.

"We have to get to the Elrics, Hawkeye."

"You need to go to hospital, Roy. Edward can take care of himself." Hawkeye protested as he nearly tripped over his feet.

"I can't. Not yet, Riza. I have to know they're alright." He panted as the pain surged and he wobbled towards the car. "I have to do this first, then you can take me to every hospital in Central if you want," he said and almost fell into the car, dragging himself into a sitting position on the back seat.

As soon as it started moving, he began tearing at his civilian jacket. He ripped off a few strips and tied one around his head to hold the padding in place and he worked to do the same for his shoulder. He pushed himself into the corner of the back seat, trying to keep his balance as Hawkeye drove faster than he had ever known her to.

It was hard and he could feel his consciousness fading a few times but he had to keep going. The look in those golden eyes as they had parted drove him on. Respect, understanding, friendship. On both sides. Feelings they had never allowed themselves to express to each other before.

Bradley had been one monster; Edward had gone forward to face God knew how many more. There were some monsters that you had to destroy and he knew Edward had the strength and will to do just that, but he had seen the dark side of those monsters and he had to go and help. He didn't know if Edward could face that darkness on his own.

Al had gone ahead, Edward had said. Edward would always follow his brother. He would do anything, sacrifice everything for his brother. Mustang shivered. He had never felt that level of commitment to anything or anyone and he had seen Edward go through hell and come back once already. He knew Edward would do the same again if it was required and that thought terrified him.

When Hawkeye stopped the car, he was halfway out and he stumbled. She supported him and they entered the old church. As quickly as they could, they made their way down the centre aisle and found the door leading underground.

It seemed to take forever. The endless steps leading into a darker and danker place. The open area that suddenly appeared before them held them silent in awe. The abandoned city, the sheer size of everything. Roy shivered and he could feel himself swaying. Hawkeye tightened her support and they moved further down.

Smoke rose from one large structure and they headed that way. The silence was profound and the air so still. It seemed almost a sacrilege to be walking through this place. They staggered up the wide steps and found a young woman lying stretched out across the entrance way, a baby wrapped beside her.

Roy leant against the wall as Hawkeye checked her over.

"I think she's just fainted. There's a bruise on her cheek but other than that she appears fine," Hawkeye said as she straightened up.

"And the baby?"

"Sleeping," Hawkeye replied and eased the small bundle closer to the woman. She looked at Roy. He was looking absolutely dreadful. The left side of him was coated with blood. His clothes were becoming a dull rust, wet and sticky in parts. The paddings were soaked and his face was ghostly pale. She did not understand how he was still standing let alone still alive. The determination in his single eye overrode the pain she could see lurking there. His need to find Edward and Alphonse was all that was keeping him upright.

She moved next to him and offered her shoulder and they began to work their way through what appeared to be a large theatre. Signs of a fight were evident in the cracked walls. Hawkeye recognized the spikes Edward favoured and knew that he had been involved in something down here. She could see blood sprays on the walls and drops upon the floor and knew that one or both of the combatants had been injured.

The door at the end of the passage they were in had been blown apart. There was just a small part remaining to hang from the hinges, the rest was scattered, some driven deep into the walls from the force of the explosion. They picked their way carefully through the debris and found themselves in what appeared to be a ballroom. Pillars rose all around to support the tiered balconies above. The room was a shambles but it was not the room which held their attention.

The array on the floor was huge and intricate and it was reflected on the ceiling above them. And in the middle of the array was a very large pool of blood. So much blood, Hawkeye thought. She looked around the room and stifled a cry when she saw the small body that lay curled up on the array's outer edge. She pulled Roy with her and they made their way around the array, neither was going to risk standing on it.

Blond hair, a darker blond than Edward was the first thing they noticed. It was short and looked silky soft. The empty staring hazel eyes in the frozen face immediately let them know the boy was not sleeping. Hawkeye could feel Roy shake and she couldn't stop the trembling in her legs either.

"Alphonse?" She breathed, hating to break the silence of this room. Neither of them had ever seen Al in the flesh although both had seen the photos of him that one time they had been in Resembool.

"It has to be," Roy whispered. He looked across the array to the blood. "And where's Edward?" His voice was filled with worry.

The horrible screeching noise that shattered the silence had them both stepping back and looking around, Hawkeye automatically drawing her gun and looking for the threat.

The yellow cat that appeared from a doorway and hurtled across the floor towards them would have made them smile at any other time but not now. The cat was unbalanced and its tail waved wildly as it careened across the floor and pressed itself against the young boy.

It yowled and it pushed at the lifeless body. Small paws patted at the still chest and the dirty yellow head rubbed itself against the cooling cheek. Small whimpers escaped from the cat as it swished its tail across the boy's nose.

Riza had never heard a cat make the noises this one did. It sounded desolate and lost and it kept pushing at the body as if trying to wake him up. It cried and whimpered and it circled around the boy twice before laying its head against the boy's chest and staying there. The fur was matted with blood and dirt, it looked thin and scrawny and it appeared to have only one eye although it was hard to tell with all the dirt across its face. She was almost sure one its' legs was automail, but it was hard to tell with the way it had curled up against the body. It was the most pitiful excuse for a cat Riza had ever seen.

Roy slumped beside her and he fell to his knees beside the body.

"It has to be Alphonse, Hawkeye." His voice was heavy and she could hear a deathly fatigue in it. The cat's ear twitched at the sound of his voice but it stayed pressed against the unmoving chest. "We can't leave him here. We have to take him back with us." He looked around the room. "And what has happened to Edward?"

Roy didn't like to think what had had happened to Edward. If Al was dead, Edward would have tried everything to bring him back. Had he done that and lost himself as well as his brother?

"Edward would never leave his brother here like this, Roy."

"I know. That's what worries me." He looked up at her. "Go and get some help. I can manage until then."

"I don't think you can, Roy. You've lost too much blood already."

"Riza, I don't have the strength to walk back." He said the words slowly and she understood as her face paled. She was not able to carry him back. She had to get someone, and a stretcher as well.

"Don't you die on me Sir, or I will hunt you down and shoot you," she threatened and he gave a wan smile.

"I wouldn't dare, Hawkeye," he replied. "Go," he added with a nod to the door.

He waited until she had left before he sank lower and he crawled to the nearest pillar and leant against it. He could see the cat shaking against Al and wondered what a cat was doing down here in the first place. Al had always loved cats, it seemed fitting somehow.

"He's not going to wake up, little one," Roy said to the cat and his voice was sad. A yellow ear twitched and the cat growled and pressed closer.

"I think we'd all like to believe otherwise," he said. "I know I do." He sighed and the cat whimpered.

"He would have loved you, little one. I think that after his brother, he loved cats best of all." Roy mused and saw the ear twitch again. "I think Ed liked cats too, even though he never said anything." The tail flicked and Roy smiled. "Yes, I know he pretended otherwise, but Edward has a soft heart."

"I wish you could talk, little one. I really need to know what happened here and where Edward is," Roy said, his voice dropping as his head lolled to one side. "I hope Hawkeye comes soon." His voice trailed away slightly. His eye closed and he could feel the exhaustion creeping up his legs.

Edward leant against his brother's lifeless body and cried inside. He could do nothing, his brother was dead and he was never going to be able to bring him back. Why didn't you take me? He wailed and there was no answer. Al had died and he had died. Why had the Gate sent him back like this? And Envy? What had the Gate done to Envy?

Mustang had fallen silent and Edward looked over his shoulder. The man looked dead but Edward could see his chest still moving slowly. There was blood all over him and his face was so white. The bandages padded over his eye and shoulder were drenched with blood. Edward wondered why he wasn't dead already.

He was glad they weren't going to leave Al down here. His brother deserved to be in the light, to be out there. Not down here. He miaowed softly. There was a horrible empty place inside him and it hurt. He had lost his brother. After getting him back, he had lost him.

"Don't cry, little one. Al wouldn't like that." Mustang's slurred words came from behind him and Edward's ears twitched. He stared at the man. His eye was open and unfocused. His head lolled from one side to the other, blood was seeping from underneath the padding on his shoulder in slow pulsing waves. Arterial blood. Edward understood that flow. Mustang was dying. He was bleeding to death.

Edward lifted his head from Al's chest and looked at his brother's face and then at Mustang. His brother was dead and Mustang was dying. His ears and tail flicked with his indecisiveness and he looked again from one to the other. Finally he walked across the short distance to Mustang and pressed his nose to the man's hand.

Mustang twitched and the single eye looked down.

"Hey little one," he said dreamily and slipped down the pillar slightly. Edward miaowed at him and Mustang tried to focus on the cat.

"You only have one eye, like me, little one." Edward made a small pfft sound and Mustang almost chuckled. "You're quite a character, little one."

Edward growled at him and then half-leapt, landing awkwardly on Mustang's lap. His single eye skewed his perceptions and he sprawled rather inelegantly before he scrabbled into a more a respectable position. He found that his claws were very helpful for that.

Mustang hissed as the cat dug its claws in and pulled itself onto his lap properly. His head throbbed and his shoulder was burning but the cat looked up at him with that one golden eye and he couldn't look away. He had never seen that colour in a cat's eye before. He wondered again where it had come from. He lifted a hand that felt very heavy and let it brush over the cat, feeling the matted, grimy fur as the cat arched into his touch with a miaow that sounded almost surprised.

"How strange," Roy said as his vision began to go dim. "You have automail." His eye closed and no matter how many times Edward reached up to bat his automail paw against Mustang's jaw, he didn't stir.

Ed looked across at his brother and kept his ear pressed against Mustang's chest. He had lost one person tonight. He didn't want to lose both of them. He could hear the limping beat of Mustang's heart. He made himself more comfortable and nearly fell off Mustang when he heard the rumbling purr that surfaced from his own chest. Whether it was soothing to Mustang or not, he didn't know, but for some reason it reassured him. The slow heartbeat remained in his ear as he kept his eye fixed on the still form of his brother.

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Author's Note: As is obvious, I have rewritten parts of the anime ending.

silken :)


	2. Survival

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

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**2: Survival**

Edward woke up when they tried to remove him from Mustang's lap and he hissed and struck out with his claws before he even opened his eye.

"Damned cat." A male voice said and Edward hissed again, focusing on a blond haired soldier. Havoc. He looked around. Mustang's crew were here. Breda and Fuery were getting the stretcher ready for Mustang.

"Leave the cat alone, Havoc and help me here," Hawkeye called and Edward looked past Havoc to see her standing beside his brother. He hissed again and leapt awkwardly from Mustang and padded across to Al. He purred softly as he rubbed his head against the cold face and whimpered as he cried. His brother was dead. It hurt so badly. Al had been everything to him for so long. How was he going to survive without Al?

"That cat has automail," Havoc said rubbing the back of his hand where red scratches were starting to rise.

"So I see, Jean. But we have to move now. We don't have time to worry about the cat." Hawkeye's voice was worried as she looked to where Mustang was being placed on the stretcher. "We're running out of time."

Together they lifted Al from the floor and placed the lifeless body on a stretcher, covering him completely with a sheet they had brought with them. Edward followed as they began to leave the room.

He was still unsteady on his feet and he had to scamper to keep up with them. He ran after them, gaining some agility but remaining unbalanced with the automail and the changed perception he now had. They slowed as they reached the long staircase and Edward was panting as he barely managed to keep up.

Mustang began to mutter under his breath and they all shared looks filled with dread. There was a shimmer of sweat on his pale face and he shifted restlessly on the stretcher.

"He's getting delirious," Hawkeye said. "We're going to have to hurry."

Ed miaowed as piteously as he could as he dragged himself up the first steps behind them. There was no way he was going to let them leave without him. He wasn't going to let them take his brother away from him. But it was hard in this form. He was too small and too unused to the new body. He wasn't going to be able to keep up now that they were ascending the stairs.

He judged it as best he could and took a chance. A quick step and forcing himself up, he jumped to land on Mustang's stretcher. His claws gripped the blanket and he pulled himself up.

"What is with that cat?" Breda exclaimed as he struggled to keep the stretcher straight. Ed hissed at him and curled up beside Mustang, putting his head to the sick man's chest and purring. The heartbeat was still there but it sounded more strained and it was beating dangerously fast. Ed kept listening as they went further up the stairs.

They were halfway up the long staircase before they noticed it. Mustang's mutterings had died away and he had stopped moving. He was still pale and sweaty but the restlessness had gone. The little cat purred continuously against him, the single golden eye staring at the other covered stretcher. No-one spoke aloud, but they watched closely as they continued to hurry as fast as they dared. Blood was still seeping and soaking through the blanket but it had slowed and they were just hoping it meant that his heartbeat had slowed as well.

Hawkeye especially was puzzled by the cat. Its sudden appearance earlier and the display of almost human distress had been completely bewildering. The automail leg suggested that it had been cared for at some stage in its life. But it had obviously been abandoned. The bedraggled fur was getting worse as the blood from Mustang began soaking into it but the cat seemed oblivious as it kept staring at the stretcher bearing Al. Riza had never seen a cat ignore its own cleanliness before. But its presence seemed to be doing something for Roy and for that she was grateful. The purring was a continual low hum in her ears as they kept climbing the stairs.

It seemed to take forever but they finally left the old church and came out under a moonlit sky. Two cars now stood there and a young woman holding a child was leaning against one of them. She stood up as they came into view and choked when she saw the covered body.

"Who is it?" She whispered and held tight to her child.

"Alphonse." Hawkeye said softly. She had found the girl stirring earlier and brought her to the surface when she had gone to get help. The girl had been subdued and Hawkeye had recognised delayed shock in her eyes and in the convulsive grip she had on her child.

"Where is Edward?" She asked in a tremulous voice.

"We don't know. We couldn't see him anywhere. But we have to get the Brigadier-General to a hospital now or we're going to lose him." Hawkeye looked at her. "You should come with us, we can get you and your child checked out as well."

The girl nodded, her bangs hiding her eyes briefly. "My name is Rose."

"Okay Rose, I'm Hawkeye. Let's get moving here."

Edward watched as they slid Al's stretcher into one car and he was torn with wanting to go with his brother. He didn't know where they would take his brother and it didn't look like they knew either. He stayed curled up at Mustang's side. The man was somehow clinging to life. Edward didn't know why he hadn't died already. But Edward didn't want to lose anyone else, not tonight, not ever. He whimpered as he pressed harder against Mustang. He would stay here as long as he could. If Mustang died, then there really would be no hope in this world for him anymore.

They placed the stretcher with Mustang on it into the back seat of the first car and Havoc got in to drive. Rose sat in the front and Hawkeye crawled into the back to kneel on the boards and keep an eye on Mustang. Edward watched her as she kept the stretcher steady as Havoc sped away.

Edward stretched his head upwards and tried to judge the distance to the back window. It was hard to tell with only one eye but he wanted to know where the other car was. His brother was in there and he had to know. Carefully he tried to stand up and found his claws automatically digging into the blanket as he lost his balance when the car swung around a corner. He growled softly and tried again, but again, he just couldn't stay upright. He tried a third time and this time he crawled up onto Mustang. He didn't try to stand up yet, he pulled himself across the blankets. He watched carefully where his claws gripped and made sure they only dug into the blankets.

He looked up and it seemed a long way but Edward was determined and he placed a paw on the back of the seat digging his claws in as deep as he could. Then the next one and he pulled himself up, moving his paws higher each time until he was standing on his hind legs and could just see out the window. The other car was there and he felt something in him ease. Al was still close, he hadn't completely gone yet. The restless shifting of the man beneath his hind paws made his ears twitch and he turned his head to see Mustang's head turn from side to side.

Hawkeye had been watching as the cat had climbed up to look out the window. This was the strangest cat she had ever seen. She had the impression it was checking to see where the other car was. When Mustang became restless again she watched as it unlatched its claws from the seat and dropped down to curl back up at his side. The purring started up and Mustang calmed. The cat's single eye stared at her in that golden shade that reminded her so much of Edward Elric.

This night had become a living nightmare to Riza Hawkeye. From the moment she had seen Roy Mustang stagger out of the burning mansion, more dead than alive she had been overwhelmed with the fear of losing him. His insistence on going to find the Elrics' had seemed unnecessary at the time, but now she was glad he had insisted. It had been truly horrifying to find Alphonse restored but dead. But to have lost Edward as well seemed even worse.

They had seen him face everything and anything with a determination that bordered on the obsessive. He had always seemed indestructible. He had faced and survived Hell once before. Now she had seen what he had always seen whenever he had looked at the armour. The young innocence of that peaceful face had startled her. Al had always seemed so young but he had a mature streak that had caught her by surprise on a few occasions. He had always seemed so calm compared to his brother. It was hard to know that after four years, all their sacrifices had ended in the still form of that young innocent boy.

"How's he doing, Riz?" Havoc's concerned voice distracted her.

"Badly, but he's hanging on somehow." Her voice was rough and she tried to regain her composure. "He's going to be angry with you for being here, Jean."

"Hey, as long as he is around to be angry with me, I don't care." Havoc's voice echoed with the same roughness in hers.

"Why did you come back? You were supposed to stay there for another week at least."

"It was strange. A week ago everything just stopped. They stopped coming at us and just sat there. We made some noise and they ignored us, so we left the Major and Falman up there and came back here to see if you would know what had happened."

"You left Major Armstrong up there? With only Falman beside him?" Hawkeye blinked. "What were you thinking, Jean?"

"We were thinking that he has the skills needed if they do start attacking again and he has all that tradition to help him." Havoc's grin was a grim shadow of itself. "Besides, who in their right mind is going to take on the Major, Riz?"

"Agreed," she said reluctantly. "I'm just glad you were here. Things have not gone well."

"So I see."

Edward listened to them talking, not understanding most of it. He had known Mustang had far-reaching plans and he had known what outcome Mustang had been chasing, but he hadn't known how the man had been going to achieve it. And tonight, he found that he really didn't care to know. Not when his brother was dead and Mustang was dying.

It struck him as he listened to the soft beating heart of Mustang that he had never been this close to him before, and he had never been this far apart from his brother. His claws dug into the blanket. Why had Al died? It wasn't fair, none of this was fair. Equivalent exchange was a myth, otherwise Al would be back and he would be the one dead and not in this form.

"What are we going to do about… you know… the Elrics?" Havoc asked tentatively and Ed's ears pricked.

Hawkeye sighed. "I don't know. I'd like to see Alphonse get a proper funeral, but I don't how we're going to manage that. And I don't know what the Military will do about Edward."

"There was no body, they can't say he's dead." Havoc pointed out.

"But they can write him up as AWOL, or MIA if we're lucky." Hawkeye lifted her head and half-turned to see the side of Havoc's face. "We're going to have to go back there and search it properly. We have to know for sure." She looked across at Rose. The young woman's eyes were blank and Riza doubted she had heard anything. "How much longer, Jean?"

"Nearly there, Riz."

"Go faster."

* * *

Edward nearly fell off the stretcher when Havoc braked the car and Hawkeye did lose her balance and half sprawled on the car floor. But she moved quickly to right herself and was opening the car door as hospital staff came rushing over in response to Havoc's shouting.

The blankets were pulled back and pressure applied to Mustang's shoulder, orders were shouted and a gurney appeared. They hurried the gurney through the double doors and more orders and commands were snapped to white coated and clothed personnel. They had him halfway to the theatre before they even realised there was a small cat huddled against the patient's side.

"The cat has to go. We can't have any infection risks." One white coat demanded.

"That cat is all that's keeping him alive right now, Doctor," Hawkeye said as she ran alongside them. She explained as they hurried further down the corridors.

"I understand, but it can not come into the theatre, Lieutenant. It's just too dangerous for the patient." He looked at her. "As soon as we go through those doors, you are going to have to remove it."

Edward's ears twitched, he understood what they were saying. He looked at Mustang's pale face.

"Don't you dare die on me, bastard. Not tonight, not after Al. You are not allowed to die, do you hear me, Mustang?" He tried to say but it came out as a low growl and a hiss. He flicked his tail at his inability to communicate and he was surprised when a hand fell upon his back. He arched and miaowed at the sudden weight. He turned his head. Mustang's hand covered him and he shook his head before twisting back to be able to slide his head against the hand. "You idiot bastard." He miaowed again.

Hawkeye and the doctor both noticed the movement and their eyebrows rose. The doctor frowned. "Get that cat cleaned up. If it really is keeping him alive, we're going to need it if he survives the surgery."

"Are you serious Doctor?"

"Very, Lieutenant. It's been known to happen. Animals seem to help some people recover better. How long has the patient had this cat?"

"Just since tonight."

"Remarkable." The doctor stared at the one eyed cat and it looked up at him. The golden eye narrowed and the doctor found himself talking to it. "Don't worry, we'll do all we can for him."

"You'd better," was Ed's growled response. He hissed when Hawkeye's hands grabbed him around his middle and lifted him off the stretcher. His body curled around her hands, his tail drawn up between his hind legs as he watched the gurney disappearing between the doors. He miaowed and felt Hawkeye's hands tighten around him.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Roy's a survivor." Her voice was heavy but he could hear the hope in it. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Come on cat. Let's get you cleaned up. You really are a sorry excuse for a cat."

He hissed at her. It wasn't his fault he was like this. He wondered if he would be able to make them realise who he was in here, or whether they were just going to see him as a cat. He knew that with everything that was happening around them, getting them to concentrate on anything else would be next to impossible. Finding ways to communicate with them was going to have to wait until they knew if Mustang was going to survive.

Ed hung his head and stared at the floor passing beneath him. He had never worried too much about his dignity before but that was before he was carried along like this, hanging between Hawkeye's hands. His tail curled up was a bit of a comfort but he really felt that he looked absolutely stupid just bouncing with every step she took. He didn't know why she didn't hold him the way Al...most people would hold a cat.

Havoc met them outside a bathroom and he followed her in. She put Ed down on the bench and commanded "Sit" as if he was Black Hayate. Edward looked at her and walked two feet to the side before he sat down. He wasn't going to do anything she said if she was going to treat him like a dog.

"They've made room for Al in the mortuary downstairs." Havoc spoke quietly and Edward forgot about Hawkeye as he listened.

"How long can he stay there? We don't want to leave him there too long."

"However long we need. Breda knows the attendant down there. He said he'd take good care of him for us," Havoc said and Ed took a slow breath. He eyed the door and the distance to the floor. If he left now he could spend some time with his brother before Mustang came back.

"We'll make some arrangements. I don't know whether we should bury him here or take him to Resembool," Hawkeye said pensively.

"Ask them. You know you're going to have to tell them what's happened," Havoc said soberly.

"I know." She sighed. "I am not looking forward to that."

Ed sighed too. Winry would not take this news well at all. She was going to be devastated. But Al would like to go home. They had spoken of it many times. To be whole and to go home. Ed might not have admitted it aloud like Al had, but he knew that Resembool would always be home. Burning down their house had not really erased anything from his heart.

He watched as Havoc placed a hand on Hawkeye's shoulder. "We'll all be with you, you know that, don't you Riz."

She smiled at him. "I know."

Edward looked from one to the other. He felt hollow inside and he could see that they felt just as empty. Al had been their friend too. And they thought him gone and with Mustang in surgery, they were the ones left to shoulder all the burdens and arrangements that had to be made. It made him hurt again to know that he would have no say in what should be done for his brother. Another reason to find a way to communicate.

"What are you doing here anyway, Riz?"

"The cat needs a bath." They turned and looked at the cat. The yellow fur was matted with blood and dirt. The automail paw looked dull. The tail flicked as they stared at him. The golden eye stared unblinking at them.

A bath? Edward could not have heard her correctly. The doctor has said clean him up, he hadn't said bath. Edward looked at the half filled sink. He looked at his fur. Okay so maybe he was a bit filthy and the thought of licking himself clean was not appealing in the least. But he didn't particularly want Riza to bathe him either.

He wasn't given a choice. Riza picked him up and placed him into the sink. His back arched and he pushed up against her hands. She pushed him down and he felt the water sinking into his fur. He miaowed his unhappiness and it got progressively louder as she pushed him further into the water. The water made him heavy and he found it harder to fight against her grip. When the cloth was wiped across his head, he complained and struck out with his claws.

"Damned cat! Will you stop that?" He heard Havoc swear and he grinned inside. That would teach him. But despite his struggles, between them they got him cleaned. The water around him went dark as the accumulated dirt was washed from his fur. He took a swipe at Hawkeye when she ran the cloth along his stomach and between his hind legs. That was uncalled for he thought and hissed violently at her. She bundled him into a towel and he found himself wrapped too tightly to move.

"He really hates this, Riz," Havoc said as he sucked at another scratch to his hand.

"This is why I prefer dogs. They are so much more obedient," Hawkeye said as she stared at the bedraggled cat. She began to dry him through the towel with brisk competent movements. His ears kept flicking as she dried his head and he stretched as she loosened the towel now that the excess water had been soaked up by the towel.

He stood on the bench and shook as she kept on wiping him down with the towel. With the dirt was gone, he looked a different cat. He was still small but the yellow fur was now more golden in colour and it was definitely much softer now all the dirt had been removed. His automail arm and paw were shinier. There were injuries that hadn't been visible before and Hawkeye was very careful as she dried around them. A long thin gash ran across his ribs and there was a large patch on his chest where hair was re-growing. His right eye was slightly swollen and closed.

Edward found himself grooming himself before he realised it. His fur felt strange and he had the need to make it right. He found his tongue dragging along his paw and then lifting it to straighten up the fur near his ear. He found he could fluff it out slightly and he did that. Being dried with a towel just seemed to make his fur sit wrong. But he was clean and he had to admit that it did feel good.

"Well, he definitely looks more like a cat now." Havoc remarked as he watched it twist itself around to lick and gnaw lightly at the fur on its lower back.

"Yes. Much better." She stared at it briefly and then turned to Havoc. "Come on, let's see if there is any news about the Brigadier-General."

Havoc scooped up the cat and Edward complained at the sudden grabbing but decided he had scratched Havoc enough for the moment. He settled into Havoc's arm and let his paw dangle over Havoc's wrist. He could smell cigarettes and stale sweat and his nose wrinkled. He looked around and studied the corridors as they walked back to the operating rooms. One of those passages would lead him to his brother. He just had to find the right one.

They were directed to a small waiting area and told that the surgery was still continuing. Half an hour later they were joined by Fuery and Breda and Edward noted the direction they had come from. Fuery came over and scratched behind his ear and his head arched back before he could control it. Obviously there were some things that he was going to have to accept as part of his new nature. He hadn't realised how sensitive and responsive a cat could be.

* * *

Time moved slowly. No-one spoke much and their heads would lift every time a door opened or a voice called. Edward was undecided as to what to do. He wanted to stay here but he also wanted to be with his brother. It didn't feel right to leave Al all alone at the moment. It had been a few hours now since he had seen him. He fidgeted and Havoc's grip was loose enough that Edward slipped to the floor. His automail made a loud clicking noise as he landed and everyone stared at him. He sat down and deliberately curled his tail around so he could lick at the end. Let them think he had done this on purpose, he thought and he waited until they stopped watching him.

He stood up and stretched, letting his front paws slide along the floor and his back arched down. He eyed the corridor outside this alcove and he padded carefully and casually towards it. With a quickened step he turned the corner and began to walk down the corridor, keeping to the wall and watching carefully to make sure he wasn't spotted.

He only got halfway down the corridor when he was picked up and found Fuery looking at him. He hissed and struggled to be put down but Fuery held him tight.

"Did you want to go out?" he asked in a bright, chirpy voice and Edward cringed. Did people really talk to animals like that? He had never thought Fuery would. And no, he did not want to go out, he wanted to go to Al. Fuery ignored the hisses and growls and walked through the hospital to a small enclosed area where he put Edward down.

Instinct was a dreadful thing Edward decided as he found himself scratching in the dirt, digging a hole in which to relieve himself. Fuery, he noted with an embarrassed amusement had turned his back and was pointedly not watching. As Edward scratched the dirt back after he had finished he found himself feeling hungry and realised he was going to have to rely on someone if he wanted to survive. Instinct was only going to take him so far.

He was not happy as Fuery carried him back although he did see a sign pointing to the mortuary and he smiled inside. Now he knew where his brother was.

But he was condemned to waiting with the others for more hours as still no word came through and Fuery did not let him go. Fuery was a good man, Edward thought. He wouldn't let him go but he did get someone to bring him some food. Even if it was raw fish which Edward discovered he suddenly loved. They tried to give him milk but he refused it and drank water instead. Fuery had shrugged and remarked that some cats did prefer water to milk.

* * *

It was nearly dawn before the doors opened and the doctor appeared. His eyes were tired and his face drawn. Edward could smell the blood and exhaustion on him and his ears twitched as he spoke.

"He's alive," and waited as they smiled in relief. Edward twisted himself out of Fuery's arms and went to stand in front of the doctor. There was more and he could sense it. He miaowed loudly. The doctor looked down at the now golden cat and nodded.

"Yes, he's alive, but only just. Whether he's going to stay alive or not, I don't know. Maybe in twenty-four hours I can tell you, but I don't know if he'll make that yet." They listened and their faces were grim. They were soldiers, he knew he didn't have to be diplomatic with the realities of the situation. "The blood loss was great and although we've replaced most of it, there's no telling if the areas, mainly his extremities, that were without oxygen will recover. His eye… his eye we couldn't save. If the bullet had not struck at the angle it did, then he would have died on the spot."

The doctor dragged his hand down his face. "I don't know how he managed to last as long as he did. He has a strong spirit and that is more important than most people realise. But deep surgery is taxing on the patient and given the severity of his injuries, I'd give him a twenty percent chance of making it through the next ten hours." He said bluntly. As they stared at him, he added. "And I'm being optimistic. I'm sorry, but I can not lie to you."

"The Boss won't give up," Havoc said but his voice weak. "He wouldn't."

Ed agreed and he hissed in agreement. The doctor looked at him again and he frowned thoughtfully. "We'll put the cat with him," he said musingly.

"Are you serious, Doc?" Breda asked, his voice as shaky as Havoc's.

"The Brigadier-General did react to him earlier and quite frankly, in his condition, I'm willing to try anything." The doctor bent down and picked Edward up. Edward found the ease with which they did this rather annoying. It was as if they were deciding where he should go. As if he was some sort of pet. If he hadn't wanted to go with the doctor to see Mustang, he would've complained about it.

"You'll be able to visit him shortly."

* * *

Mustang was covered in bandages and filled with tubes and Edward looked at him wide-eyed. The doctor set him down carefully near Mustang's right hand and Edward automatically rubbed his head against it before he padded further up the bed to press his head to Mustang's chest to hear his heart. It was a slow steady beat and it reassured him that Mustang was alive. He pushed himself into the gap between Mustang's arm and side and curled up, the purring starting up automatically.

The others came in soon after and there was silence as they stared at their Brigadier-General. Bandages covered fully half of his face and streaks of the disinfectant could still be seen on his pallid skin. His left shoulder was completely wrapped up and several tubes disappeared under it while others tracked under the blankets or into his arm.

"One of us has to be here all the time," Hawkeye said softly.

"I'll take first shift." Havoc offered. "You need to make some calls. And someone needs to check on that young woman too."

"I'll do that." Fuery volunteered.

"And I'll help you, Hawkeye," Breda said.

It was quickly arranged and Havoc made himself comfortable, stretching out across a couple of chairs and it wasn't long before he slipped into a light doze.

Edward stayed curled up against Mustang and listened to the heartbeat that somehow managed to keep on going. He felt the slow rise and fall of Mustang's chest beside him.

"Don't you die now, bastard. Not when you've made it this far." Edward miaowed quietly and looked up suddenly at the whispered noise that he heard. He stared and saw Mustang's fingers twitch. Edward made a small sound and watched as the arm rose and bent and Mustang's hand landed on him again. He shook his head at the weight in the lax hand and shifted himself around to make it more comfortable for them both.

He didn't know when his eye closed and he fell asleep, purring contentedly and dreaming of Al.

* * *

It was chilly in the mortuary and the young intern shivered and wished he could leave his coat on when he came to work. But regulations denied him the warmth of his own coat and insisted he wear the thinner, but hospital approved, jacket. He yawned as he scanned the list of overnight admittances and walked down the line, checking the tables and drawers against the list.

He blinked. There was one missing. He went back and double-checked. Again he was missing one body. He called in his supervisor and they checked.

Alphonse Elric had gone.

* * *

The young man's head shifted against the rough pillow and the man leant forward. He placed his hand on the pale forehead and sighed in relief, there was no fever. He stayed at the bedside as the young man became more and more restless. It was half an hour before the eyes opened. Unfocused hazel eyes blinked and blinked again trying to see. The man watched as the eyes finally focused on him and he smiled as he spoke gently.

"Hello Alphonse."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the wonderful response to the first chapter of this story. Knowing you enjoy this is what keeps me writing.

silken :)


	3. Discovery

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**3: Discovery**

Alphonse Elric was the calmest, politest soul there ever had been. He had survived everything from being attached to armour to being the younger brother of the sometime highly emotive Fullmetal Alchemist.

To open his eyes, _eyes, real eyes_ and see his father staring at him completely derailed him and a word he had never used, but had been long conditioned to hearing slipped out of him.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed and then realised he had a _mouth,real mouth_ and _sound, real sounds._ No metallic echo. He began to shake and he lifted his _hand, real hand_ up and stared at it. "What the hell?"

Hohenheim reached out and placed his hand on Al's. Al nearly jumped off the bed. He could feel it, he could feel it! He could feel touch again!

"Al. Calm down."

"Dad?" He asked in a quavering voice. His other hand gripped at the blankets and he could feel that too. There was a beating in his ears, _real ears_. _Heartbeat, I have a heartbeat! I can breathe!_

"It's okay, Al. I know this is a bit of a shock so just relax and take it slowly."

"I'm me again._ I'm real_." He whispered in an awed tone and saw his father nod. "Where's Brother?" He looked around the small bedroom and then back as his father as the older man sighed. The faded golden eyes dropped slightly and his voice was soft.

"Al. Only you came through."

* * *

Edward Elric hated hospitals. He hated them when he had been human, he hated them now he was a cat. He hadn't realised the smells that pervaded a place like this before. At least I'm not the patient this time, he thought as he tried to stretch but found Mustang's hand holding him down again.

"Let me stretch, bastard." He growled softly but the hand stayed put. Mustang had selective hearing, he was sure of it. For someone on the brink of death he was doing a pretty good job of staying alive. Although there had been that scare earlier when the bandages around his head had suddenly turned red.

Blood had built up behind the skin they had pulled across his now empty eye socket and it had ruptured. Edward had watched as they had drained the blood and sealed off the offending artery before re-sewing the skin back. Edward had seen bad injuries before. Holding onto your own stumps, trying not to bleed to death sprang to mind rather quickly. When the swelling and the bruising disappeared it probably wouldn't look as bad as it did now. They had left Edward beside Mustang and he knew that was because the last time they had tried to remove him, Mustang had frightened them all by not breathing.

Edward looked at the clock. Twelve hours now and the staff checked on him every fifteen minutes. He looked over at the camp bed they had set up against the wall. Fuery had this shift and was dozing. Edward and Mustang were probably the only ones to have had any real sleep recently.

He rolled over onto his back, Mustang's arm now lying across his stomach. Bad move, Ed thought and tried to roll back. He managed to get halfway. "You're going to have to let me go, bastard. I have to go to the bathroom." He growled and then hissed as he remembered what that now meant to him. And he was hungry again as well. He wriggled forward and he suddenly moved faster as Mustang's arm moved away.

He stood up and walked carefully up the bed to be closer to Mustang's ear. "Just how much do you understand me Mustang?" He growled softly but there was no answer and Edward sighed. "I wish I could go and see Al." He absently rubbed his head against Mustang's cheek and then moved down the bed.

Fuery would probably get him something to eat if he complained loudly enough, but what about the bathroom issue? Edward pondered for a moment and then leapt down from the bed.

Cats always land on their feet he thought, except when they don't. Ed growled in embarrassment. He had landed on the floor, but his automail had slid on the smooth surface and he had hit the floor with three paws and a face. He scrubbed at his face with the side of his paw and felt better.

He padded across to the main door and tried to push against it. It was heavy and he couldn't make it move. He tried standing on his hind legs and pushing, he tried leaning fully against it. Neither method worked. He had seen the staff go in and out, he knew it was a push door and not a handled one. That had pleased him as he had thought he would be able to leave easily. But now he knew he couldn't. He was too damned small. He padded over to the bathroom door and he stared up at it. That door had a handle. He was trapped in here.

He looked at Fuery and walked across to the camp bed. The small man had taken his glasses off and was sleeping. It would probably be a shame to wake him Edward thought. But needs must and a full bladder was definitely a need. Edward miaowed and nothing happened. He miaowed louder and Fuery twitched slightly. Edward did it again but Fuery had slipped back into sleep. Edward judged the distance and crouched down. He could feel his hips swing from side to side just before he leapt up to the bed.

He landed on Fuery's chest and the man suddenly woke up to find a weight on his chest accompanied by a glaring golden eye and a demanding miaow. Fuery wrapped one arm around the cat and sat up, his shortsighted eyes going straight to Mustang to make sure he was alright.

"What's the matter? He seems fine." His free hand scrabbled around and found his glasses and Edward leapt from his arm and miaowed again before jumping down from the cot and going to the door. At least he hadn't fallen this time he thought to himself as he waited for Fuery to figure out what he wanted. He miaowed again, impatiently.

"You want to go out?" he asked and Ed nodded and miaowed loudly. "Okay let me get someone to watch the General while we're gone." And he pressed the buzzer. Edward walked around in a circle and miaowed again. There had to be a better way to do this, he thought. _But I doubt my bladder would hold out while I tried to scratch words in the floor._

Ed was nearly dancing with impatience by the time Fuery had managed to get a nurse to stay. The minute the door opened, Edward was through it and Fuery had to run to catch him. Ed protested as Fuery picked him up but Fuery walked quickly and soon found the small courtyard he had used earlier. Edward noticed that Fuery kept his back turned again. Now if only they could set something up in the room, Ed wouldn't need to go through all of this every time. But how to tell them that? They were still concentrating on Mustang, and scratching words on the floor would tell _everyone_ and he didn't think it wise to have the hospital staff aware of his new circumstances. For years he had been worried that the Military would take Al away from him because of what Ed had done to him. If too many people realised he had somehow become a cat, there was no way he would escape becoming someone's test subject.

Fuery carried him back and asked for something to eat for the cat as Edward moved to Mustang's side. Why had the Gate seen fit to put him into this form? It was embarrassing, annoying and downright inconvenient. He pressed his head against Mustang's hand and closed his eye for a moment. Why had it not brought Al back?_ I want my brother back,_ he growled low in his throat. Mustang's fingers twitched and he nearly bit at them in his frustration. Waiting was not something he could do with any grace, but he had no choice at the moment. _Get better soon, bastard, _he grumbled.

The door opened and Breda and a nurse appeared. Breda took Fuery aside and Edward saw them leave them room but the nurse had a plate with something on it that smelt good. His nose twitched and he was moving before he knew it, hunger taking over his thought processes for the moment. She picked him up and put him on the floor with the plate and Edward began to eat. He finished at the same time as she finished checking Mustang and he found himself picked up again and put by the man's side.

Edward sat there and groomed his face as he licked tiny fragments of fish from his fur. She disappeared briefly but then returned with a tray of what appeared to be dirt and she placed it under the head of the bed. He watched her and his tail flicked as she leant near him. Her hand was smoother than Mustang's as she scratched behind his ear and his head tilted back.

"It's for you, for when you need to go, " she said and smiled at him. He tilted his head and looked at her, his ears flickering and she gave him a last pat before opening the door.

"…widen the search. I'll relieve you in an hour." Breda was saying as they re-entered the room. Edward pricked his ears up. Who were they searching for? Were they going back to the underground city to try and find him? Fuery looked rather pale and his hand was shaking slightly.

"Ok, Breda." Breda left and Edward watched as Fuery sat down on the camp bed and placed his head in his hands. Fuery stayed there for the longest moment and Edward kept watching him as he settled back into his spot at Mustang's side.

"Damn, damn, damn, hell." His ears pricked up the smaller man's mutterings and he wondered just what had happened to upset Fuery so much.

* * *

It took Al three days to get used to having ears again. He would jump at noises and sounds and found it so different to hear things without the metallic echo he had always had for speaking and listening. He would say random words just to hear his own voice.

When his father had told him that Edward was not here, he had broken down. The shock of being restored and not having Ed here to see it overwhelmed him and he collapsed. It didn't help that he couldn't remember how he had gotten here and the last time he had seen Edward, he had still been in the armour and Ed had been standing at the edge of that large array.

Hohenheim had found Al sprawled across the steps outside the small house he owned. The boy, no, young teen had been deathly pale and almost frozen to the touch. There had been bruises around his neck and down the side of his face and they hadn't faded much yet. He had been unconscious for three days before he had awakened.

"...name was Dante," Al said as he was telling Hohenheim what he could remember. "She had this homunculus who was going to...to..." His hands shook as he remembered watching Gluttony moving mindlessly towards him, the empty hungry stare forcing him towards the array. "I looked over at Brother and ...and that's all I can remember."

Hohenheim hung his head low for a moment before aching old gold eyes met those of his youngest son. "Dante ... she is the dark stain of my past." He looked back down at his hands. "I hid for so many years from her, to protect you... to protect me. I was naive to think that once she had had a victory over me that she would leave you alone."

"I was the Stone." Various expressions chased across Al's face. "Everyone saw that. Brother was the only one who still saw _me_. And I was angry at him for that." His vision blurred as his eyes burnt and it was the longest moment before he felt arms, his father's arms around him and he dissolved into tears.

It was hours later before either of them spoke again about Dante and the array. And still later before Hohenheim shared some of the history he had with Dante. They spoke of the Stone and Equivalent Exchange. And they had discussed the Gate that Al did not remember seeing but had somehow passed through. Al collapsed again when Hohenheim told him there was no way to return.

He began trying to concentrate solely on the new feelings and sensations that sometimes overwhelmed him. Sounds and then taste. To be able to eat again, to taste the things he remembered and then new flavours he had never known existed. To touch and feel and to just simply be human again.

But the questions and worries never stayed away. What had his brother sacrificed for him? Was he only here because his brother was dead? And why was he here and not back home?

Questions that ate at him and there was no way to find any answers.

* * *

Mustang was still alive after twenty four hours. Edward stayed by his side and felt worried. There was something going on and they weren't talking about it where he could hear them.

Fuery had been relieved by Breda and then Breda later by Havoc. It had struck Ed strange that Hawkeye had not been in here. He knew how concerned she had been for Mustang. He knew there were probably a lot of reasons for her not to be here, but he also knew she would never be away this long without a very good reason. And given that the others were looking a lot worse than they had the night before, Edward was fairly certain something had happened and that it wasn't good at all.

For the hundredth time he cursed being in this form. He couldn't ask anyone, he couldn't even open the damned door to go and find out for himself and he still hadn't been able to go and see his brother. And they were all too busy with whatever was happening to be concerned with a small cat. He growled in frustration and wished there was something he could do. Who knew how boring being a cat was? The urge to sleep kept swamping him and he struggled with his increasing need to go and see Al.

He turned his head and looked up at the sleeping General. Damn, the man was a nuisance. But if he woke up then maybe, just maybe, the others would start talking to him and Ed might be able to find out what was going on. "Wake up you bastard," he growled and batted his head against the relaxed hand beside him.

"Cute, cat." Havoc's amused voice came from above him and he looked up to see the red-rimmed, tired blue eyes looking down, watching him. He hissed slightly and flicked his tail. Havoc laughed slightly. "You are one strange cat."

"Come closer and I'll show you just how strange," Edward growled and felt his claws dig into the blankets. Havoc was not an animal person, Ed thought. Or maybe he just preferred dogs. Ed wondered if he could get Havoc to see him as something other than just a cat. He watched as Havoc stared at Mustang. He sighed, those blue eyes were still completely fixed on the bastard.

"Wake up Boss, we need you." Ed's ears twitched at the softly spoken words and he tilted his head to one side. Havoc noticed and leant forward. "And don't you tell anyone I said that, okay, cat?" Ed blinked at him and miaowed. He nearly rolled his eye, like who could he tell anyway. Not yet anyway.

"Good boy." Havoc said and ran his hand across Ed's head. Ed did roll his eye.

"I'm not a dog, Havoc." He growled and flicked his ears angrily. He hated this, absolutely hated this. Once this was over, he was to have a lot of things to say to the tall blond.

Havoc laughed gently and his tired face eased for a moment. "I'm glad the Chief has you here, even if you are the smallest cat I've ever seen." Edward hissed. _Fuck waiting, I'll get him now!_ Havoc was going to die from all the scratches he was going to inflict upon him. Edward raised up slightly and he felt the swinging of his hips and tail as he prepared to leap. The hand that landed on his back pushed him flat and he almost squeaked. He put his head into the blankets and swore in a long low growl.

He looked up and rubbed his face against the blankets to straighten his whiskers and saw Havoc staring at Mustang. Ed twisted around and saw the single dark eye was open. He miaowed and it blinked. Havoc ran for the door and he was shouting for a nurse the moment he pushed it open.

Edward dragged himself out from under Mustang's hand and padded carefully closer to him, lifting his forepaws up to rest on the man's right shoulder and leant in slightly. He miaowed softly and the eye seemed to turn towards him.

"You stupid bastard," Edward miaowed at him and watched the eye close. He looked at Mustang, it almost appeared as if he was smiling.

The doctor and nurses had arrived and one of them lifted Edward out of the way and handed him to Havoc. Ed complained but they let them stand against the wall as they busied themselves around the patient. The doctor came over to them a short while later.

"Well, it's certainly more promising than it was earlier. He's still not completely out of the woods, but it's definitely better then we had hoped for. Give him another twenty four hours and his chances are much, much better." The doctor looked at the cat and stroked it lightly. "I understand there have been things happening elsewhere" and Edward pricked his ears up "but it's best that they not be discussed here."

"Yeah Doc. They warned us about that. About how coma patients can sometimes hear things."

"Precisely." He smiled absently at the cat. "He can go back to the bed now."

Havoc placed Ed back on the bed and he sat there and watched them, hoping they would say more but understanding now why they probably wouldn't.

"Does he have a name?" the doctor asked.

"No. He's a stray as far as we know."

"It really is remarkable. In these situations, the best results come from pets who have been with their owners for a long time, usually years. The bond between these two is quite unique if he only found this little thing yesterday."

"Yes, it was really strange apparently." Havoc looked at the golden cat and it stared back at him. "I think we'll wait and let the Brigadier-General name him. After all, it's now his cat."

Edward hissed at him. There was no way he was going to be Mustang's pet. No way known to man, or cat, was that ever going to happen.

* * *

It took Al a week to regain his balance enough to walk without having to be supported. It had felt so strange to feel so heavy and he had listed to one side. The armour had been heavy but he never _felt_ its weight because he had only had to think and it had responded. There had been no links of nerves and muscles, it had all just been there. It had been why he moved so fast, it had been why he had been able to be so flexible for steel. But now gravity had found him again.

He leant against the wall for a moment before he continued down the stairs. The house was small and sparsely furnished but it was comfortable and filled with books. His dad said he lived alone but did private tutoring for some of the students at the nearby university to support himself and to buy more books.

There were voices coming through a half-opened door off the entry hall and Al surmised his dad was in the process of tutoring someone. He carefully negotiated the last steps and walked slowly down the hall to the kitchen. His dad had explained the layout of the house to him a few days ago.

He was thirsty. It was still strange to feel thirsty and stranger still to actually be able to do something about it. Al looked around the small kitchen and saw several glasses on the board near a sink. An Aga stove filled one wall and a pantry cupboard and small larder were opposite. Al felt comfortable here. It was different, but not too different. He filled a glass with water and sipped it slowly as he leant against the sink and tried to see out of the dirty window. Dad was obviously not too concerned with some aspects of domesticity.

There seemed to be a small overgrown garden out there and Al knew as soon as he was more stable that he would go out there. To be outside, with all the sounds, smells and feelings he remembered. He was going to be able to feel them all again. He looked at the glass in his hand. In his hand, real flesh hand.

It's hard, he thought. I_ have everything I …we wanted for so many years but I don't have the one thing I need. I don't know if he's dead or alive. I don't even know where he is. He could be as lost as I am. He could be thinking I'm dead too. He could dead. He could be dead and I don't know. He's my brother and I don't know where he is!_

The glass shattered in his hand as he gripped it too hard. Glass fell to the floor and some remained embedded in his hand. Blood seeped from the cuts. Footsteps came running and his father burst into the room.

"Al! Are you all right?" Hohenheim stood nearby and surveyed the damage. "Stay where you are and just turn around and run the water over your hand while I clean this up." Al did as he was told and watched the blood run into the water. He shivered as it tingled and he began to pull out the larger shards from his flesh. Hohenheim slipped from the room and Al heard murmured voices before his dad returned with a small broom.

"I'm sorry Dad."

"It's ok, Al. These things happen. As long as you haven't hurt yourself too badly."

"Some of the bleeding has stopped now," he said as he took his hand out of the water and held it up. Blood welled from several places and he looked closely at them. "But there's some bits of glass that I just can't get out."

"I'll take care of them." Hohenheim said as he put the broken glass in the bin and came to look at Al's hand.

"Found it, professor." A voice called and Al heard limping steps in the hall. Al looked up as the young man entered the kitchen, a first aid box in his hand.

Al found himself leaning against his father and Hohenheim was the only thing stopping him from falling to the floor. He stared at the young man who was staring at him. He was looking at his own face.

* * *

Edward discovered that sharing a bed with a Roy Mustang near death was preferable to one beginning to recover. He had been useful but now he wasn't. And he was bored. He was beyond bored. Mustang didn't need him to be at his side all the time anymore but he couldn't leave the room. He was trapped in here.

Perhaps a normal cat would be happy to lay on a bed twenty-three hours straight but Ed was no ordinary cat and he hated it. There was absolutely nothing to do. About the only thing he had done was to jump endlessly back and forth off the bed. He never slipped after the first time and he found that as long as he took his time he could allow for his skewed perception. it was a mindless exercise that kept him from thinking too much about Al. The urge to curl up and submit to the black thoughts at the edges of his mind became stronger the longer he laid there.

Breda had found his antics amusing until Ed had decided that perhaps he should try practicing on Breda's lap. It had taken a bit of effort but he had managed to leave some lovely scratches on Breda's legs before Breda had picked him up and dropped him back next to Mustang.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Breda had accused and Ed had miaowed at him in a very satisfied way. "You really are his cat." Breda added and Ed had hissed at him. It was getting harder to wait until Mustang became less of a worry to them all before trying to communicate with them. And he was going to need Mustang to be awake and aware. Only another alchemist was going to be able to understand and hopefully be able to explain it to them. They were going to have a hard time believing it anyway, having the bastard to at least confirm the alchemy behind all this would give him a better chance of being believed and not written off as some 'stupid cat'.

He was itching to go and find Al as well. It had been nearly two days and they hadn't even been discussing the arrangements for a funeral at all. Edward knew they were worried about what Mustang would hear in his comatose state, but Mustang knew Al was dead. Why weren't they making any arrangements? What if they sent Al to Resembool and he never got to see him again because he stuck in this damned room? What if he had already left?

Ed was under the bed when his chance came. He again thanked the nurse who had thought this to be the best place for his litter tray. Out of the way and out of sight and they changed it every hour even if it hadn't been used. He had finished and was just about to make his way back up onto the bed when Havoc opened the door and signaled to Breda.

Ed ran as quickly as he could on three legs to avoid making a noise with his automail paw and managed to get outside just as the door closed behind him. He sat by the door and looked up to see Fuery with Havoc.

"There's still no sign of him," Havoc said as he brushed the hair back from his tired face. "We still don't know how he left."

"We've searched everywhere." Fuery added.

"Riz is calling Major Armstrong and Falman back to help. Can you get word to Brosh and Ross, Breda?"

"Can do."

"Given what's happening at Headquarters we can't have this getting out. We have to keep this amongst ourselves. Riz says she thinks Hakuro is going to try and take over. And we all know how he feels about the Boss." There was silence and Ed tilted his head. No wonder they had been worried, he thought. But it still left him with more questions.

"The girl, Rose can be released tomorrow the Doctor said." Fuery informed them. "I spoke to her this afternoon and she agreed to come with me back to _that place_ to see if there's anything there."

"She doesn't remember much. Only that the Elric's were there and that Ed told her to run and get away. She said he looked pretty determined about something."

Ed looked down at the floor and thought hard. He remembered Rose being there and Dante controlling her like a puppet, and the baby. Dante had used the baby to open the Gate and…and…yes, she had done that because Gluttony had become uncontrollable after he had started to... eat the..._Al._..armour...and she had used it to destroy the fat homunculus. Ed shivered and felt his fur fluff. Ed had grabbed the baby and Rose and pushed them out the door while she had been distracted. And then he had gone back in because Al had to be brought back, because Al was his brother, because he had promised and because without Al he wasn't complete.

"Ed always was determined." Fuery said.

"Was? We don't know that for sure yet." Havoc remarked.

"I know, but Ed wouldn't stay away for this long, not unless something…" Fuery stopped, unable to go on.

"Not unless something is stopping him." Breda finished for him.

"Ed would never voluntarily leave Al." Havoc stated. "We all know that."

They were all silent as they knew that Ed _had_ left Al and it could only be because of the worst of all reasons. Ed watched them. He wanted to find a way to communicate with them, but it just wasn't something feasible right now, and miaows and hisses weren't exactly the most translatable of noises.

Havoc shook his head and blinked. "First things first, it's your turn with the Boss, Fuery. Get as much sleep as you can. We'll go back out and see if we can get anything to help us find Al. There has to be something out there we're missing."

Edward's mind closed in on those two words. 'Find Al.' Why would they need to find him? He was in the mortuary, wasn't he? What had happened to his brother? What had they done to his brother?

He was moving before he knew it. He remembered the sign he had seen the other day, he knew which way it was. He went. He ran and ducked and weaved his way past anything and everything without thinking about it. He let his eye and mind make whatever adjustments needed to gauge depth and space and found that a cat had the reflexes to correct any mistakes very quickly. He was round the corner before they had realised he had been there.

He ignored their pounding footsteps behind him and kept running. He found the corridor he remembered and turned so fast, his hind legs nearly slipped. Straight down that corridor and trying to find a sign and to keep track of obstacles in his way was difficult but he went forward. He had to find out what had happened to his brother.

Damn, damn, he swore. It was on a lower level and he could hear them getting closer. The door to the stairwell opened and Ed was through it without stopping. As fast as he could he ran down the stairs. He appreciated his new form's flexibility as he had to twist a few times to avoid tripping over himself, but he refused to slow down. He had to get to the mortuary. He had to know exactly what had happened to Al.

He was nearing the bottom of the stairs when he realised that he was probably the stupidest cat that had ever been. The lower door would be closed. He would be trapped in here. He wasn't going to be able to get through that last door. He would have howled in his distress if he hadn't been plummeting down the stairs.

Booted feet and the occasional shout were echoing above him and his automail paw was clicking. The noises were loud to his ears and he kept them flattened against his head as he leapt the last steps and found an open door. Someone had propped it open and there was a heavy smell of paint in the air. Edward went through it and found another corridor but there was another open door and it had the words he had been searching for and he was finally there.

He paused in the doorway for the briefest moment and then he went in. Damn, damn again he thought, I can't see anything from the floor. He complained loudly as he tried to find a way to get higher. Havoc and the others came into the room just as he leapt upwards to the nearest trolley.

Edward ignored the covered body he had landed on and looked around. When Havoc grabbed him, he hissed violently and struggled to get free.

"What is with that cat?" Breda demanded. "Why did it come here?"

"Riz said she and the Boss found it with Al." Havoc said as the small animal twisted like a demon on his arms.

"Maybe it was Al's cat?" Fuery half queried.

"They never had time to keep a cat, Fuery. Or any other sort of animal."

"I know but Al went missing for a few weeks, maybe he had one then," Fuery said.

"It's possible but highly unlikely," Havoc replied.

Ed writhed and managed to spring himself free and arched down to the floor. He headed towards the first gurney and was leaping up again when Breda grabbed him mid-leap. He growled and turned his head to bite at Breda's hand.

"What is the damned thing doing?" Breda exclaimed as he dropped the cat and shook his hand as blood rose from the small puncture wounds.

Ed leapt again and started to go from gurney to gurney but he could do nothing in this form and the silver doors to the cool drawers were closed to him. He scratched at them with the automail paw, growling at his inability to find Al.

"I think he's definitely looking for Al," Fuery said.

"That is one very strange cat. You don't think it's not really a cat do you?" Breda asked.

"Not you too, Breda?" Havoc groaned. "I thought Schieska was the best for wacky ideas."

"Falman told me about that." Fuery added. "And it's too small to be one of those chimera things. The Major told us about those from that place down south, remember?"

"It's just a cat. With a bad attitude," Havoc said and took his jacket off before trapping the small cat beneath it. Edward howled and fought against the jacket but Havoc held him tight.

"Sorry cat, but Al's not here and we can't waste time here with you when we've got to go and find him." Havoc spoke clearly and the cat froze for the briefest moment before fighting even harder to get free.

"Let's take him back upstairs. He helped the Boss, maybe Mustang can return the favour."

Edward struggled and cried the whole way back. Al couldn't have gone missing. How was that possible? Al had died. He had seen him lying there. They were supposed to have taken care of him. How could they lose him? Who could have taken him? What if someone was going to try to bring him back? But who was left who would or could do that? Tucker? What had happened to Tucker? Had he something to do with all this? He screamed into the jacket._ Where is my brother? _His claws tore through the material and he put every effort into getting free. He had to find his brother. He had to know what had happened.

Havoc gritted his teeth as the cat tore through his jacket and metal claws sliced down his arm. It was hard to keep a tight hold of the struggling little beast. It arched and twisted and tried to escape with such desperation. The noises it was making were muffled but Havoc could hear the anger and frustration clearly. More tearing came as teeth appeared and the cat bit down hard on Havoc's hand.

Havoc resisted the urge to swear and tightened his grip on the cat. Ed struggled but Havoc just wouldn't let him go and he tasted the salt of the blood from Havoc's hand. His ribs began to hurt, Havoc's grip was interfering with his breathing. But he had to go and find Al. He tried again to twist out of Havoc's grip.

"Give it a rest, cat. You're not helping any here, you know."

"Are you sure that's a normal cat, Jean?" Breda asked again as they approached the door to Mustang's room.

"I'm sure. It's an annoying little nuisance who's wasting our valuable search time. We just don't have the time for this!" Havoc said angrily as they pushed the door open. Havoc walked over to the bed and dumped the cat on it. Edward tried to shake free of the jacket but found Havoc's hand on his back and he looked up as he tried to wriggle out from under his grip.

"Brought your cat back, Boss," Havoc said as he signaled for the others to get ready. Fuery came over and placed his hand next to Havoc's and pressed down. Ed hissed and complained, growling as Havoc let go and he and Breda left the room as fast as they could. The door closed completely before Fuery lifted his hand.

Ed was off the bed and howling at the door as soon as he shook off the torn jacket. He pushed at the door with his head, his paws, with everything he could. It wouldn't move. He was trapped again. He glared one-eyed at Fuery who had settled on the cot and was watching him. He knew Havoc would have warned the staff not to open the door for a while.

Ed shook, trembling in his distress and he padded slowly away from the door. He leapt back up onto the bed. He was shaking harder as he pressed his head into Mustang's side. He curled up into the smallest ball he could and cried.

* * *

Mid-morning in Central was a pleasant time, she thought. Her shopping was done and she was mentally planning out the rest of her day as she walked home when the car almost hit her as it went too fast around the corner. She dropped her bag and fruit spilled onto the pavement. She bent to pick it an apple and a hand reached out at the same time. The young boy picked it up for her and smiled at her as he helped collect the rest of her shopping.

She offered him an apple as thanks, but he just shook his head, his hazel eyes and blond hair shining as he turned and disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the comments and reviews for this… I think I'm becoming addicted to them…lol…

So, another little chapter, sooner, much sooner, than I planned but I know no-one complains about that...lol

Please enjoy and as always, thank you

silken :)


	4. Recovery

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**4: Recovery**

Edward didn't move. He stayed huddled up at Mustang's side for hours. He was unaware of the nurses checking on the patient. He was unaware when Fuery was relieved by Breda. He remained completely locked away inside himself. Even when Mustang's hand rested on his back.

Al had gone. Somehow someone had taken him and he was absolutely powerless. He could do nothing. Edward had never been this lost before. Al had always been there. He had always known where Al was. If only he could have been with him, instead of stuck in here. Maybe, maybe he could've stopped whatever had happened.

He resented Mustang for needing him. He felt guilty for choosing to stay here and for not trying harder to get to Al earlier. The same questions rolled through him and kept him paralyzed. Who and why. Why take Al? Who had done it?

It wasn't fair. Al had been everything to him. It was all his fault. My fault, he whimpered. My fault for putting him in the armour, my fault Al died and my fault Al isn't here. And I'm stuck like this with no way of doing anything at all.

He ignored the noises around him, burrowing deeper into the blankets. He didn't even know why he was still alive when the one person who had deserved to survive, the one person who should have lived, hadn't. Equivalence didn't exist. It was all lies.

The hand at his back twitched and fingers ran through his fur. Ed hissed, resenting being distracted from his thoughts as his back arched automatically. He pushed himself deeper into Mustang's side and tried to curl up tighter.

"Little one."

* * *

Al looked at the young man opposite him. He couldn't stop staring. It was uncanny just exactly how like each other they looked. Hair length and eye colour were the only differences. Al's hair was shorter and the other's eyes were blue.

"This is Alfons Heiderich, Al." Hohenheim had said after Alfons had entered the kitchen. "He's one of the students I mentioned. Alfons, this is my youngest son, Al."

They had barely heard him as they had just stared. The longer they looked the more they noticed the more subtler differences. Alfons looked to be in his early twenties and Al was only fifteen. Alfons had a slightly thinner face and his fingers were longer. Al could see exactly how he was going to look when he grew up. Al had been surprised to find himself restored to his body, not as a ten year old, but one of his actual chronological age. And tall. He was taller than his brother now and he had wanted nothing more than to be able to tease Ed about it.

Hohenheim pulled the small shards from Al's hand with the tweezers as the two just sat there. He had seen the resemblance when he had first met Alfons and it had taken him a while to get used to it. He couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like for Al to be faced with his doppelganger. He was still hoping he wouldn't meet himself here.

"You look so much like me," Al said wonder in his voice.

"It is indeed quite remarkable," Alfons said. He was older, he wasn't going to show just how intriguing he found it.

"You can sit in on some of the lessons if you want, Al. It'll give you something to occupy yourself with," Hohenheim remarked as he dabbed antiseptic onto the small cuts.

Alfons stared. "Is that wise, Professor? I mean…"

"Al is very smart for his age, Alfons."

Al thought about it. Having something to study would help. He didn't want to just sit around here all day. And if he really was stuck here, then he needed to learn everything he could about this new world.

* * *

Mustang remained in a semi-conscious state for the rest of the day. The pain medication was rigidly controlled and often he would become restless before it was due. His head would roll from side to side and they changed his pillows so as to restrict the movement. They did not want the healing of his eye injuries to be jeopardised by rough movements.

His single eye would occasionally clear but most of the time it was hazy and they weren't sure how much he was seeing through it. He spoke little and his words were slow in coming as if it hurt to talk. Breda had the afternoon shift and sat beside him, keeping a companionable silence. They had agreed that until Hawkeye appeared and they were all together, they wouldn't tell him anything.

Edward stayed curled up at Mustang's side. He was still upset at his inability to do anything and distraught at the loss of his brother. He trembled occasionally and found a sense of satisfaction to be had in feeling so miserable. Mustang's improvement was good, he decided. They would talk to him and he would be able to hear what was happening. Finally, he would know. Because not knowing was driving him crazy. Because the guilt and blame told him he should have known, he should have been able to protect his brother no matter what else had happened.

When the door opened and two military personnel appeared Breda took one look and immediately stood up and saluted. The stern faced General ignored him and strode to stand by the bed where he looked down on Mustang. The blonde Lieutenant who stood just behind allowed no emotion or recognition to cross her face.

"I see you were indeed telling the truth this time, Lieutenant." The General's harsh voice broke the silence of the room. Breda blinked and kept his face blank as he saw Hawkeye's back stiffen slightly.

Edward pricked his ears up at the rough voice and opened his eye slightly. He recognised General Hakuro and his nose wrinkled. The man looked more forbidding than ever. Lines were etched deeply down his face and a permanent frown appeared to be carved into his forehead.

With Mustang's hand on his back and half buried in the blankets he was barely visible and he listened without any real interest. Military politics had rarely been a part of his life and he had never had the patience or the need to ever find out why such things were. He had only objected when it had interfered with his goal of restoring his brother.

"How long will he be in this condition?" General Hakuro's voice was loud and Ed's ears flicked at the hard edges.

"The doctors believe it will be another week before they can release him into a general ward, Sir." Hawkeye said in the most careful tone Ed had ever heard her use and his eye widened. "After that, they are unsure as to how long his recovery will take."

General Hakuro frowned. "Has he said anything at all about the whereabouts of Fuhrer Bradley?"

"No Sir."

Edward twitched. He didn't like the sound of Hawkeye's voice. She should never sound so subservient to anyone. His paws dug into the blankets and he stretched slightly.

"Hmmm, he is useless to me now," Hakuro said in a cold voice.

Ed lifted his head and stared hard at the General. He saw Hawkeye flinch and Breda stiffen. He felt Mustang's fingers twitch on his back. With a deliberate slow movement he rose up slightly and placed his forepaws out in front of him, arching his back up.

"What is a cat doing in here?" The General asked.

"Being useful." Ed miaowed at him and tilted his head on one side as the tip of his tail twitched. Come closer so I can scratch you he thought as he watched Hakuro.

"It is the Brigadier-General's cat, Sir," Breda replied in a clear voice.

"Hmmph. A one-eyed cat for a one-eyed soldier," Hakuro remarked and then continued. "Tell Mustang when he wakes up, that I no longer require his services and that a suitable place will be found for him, should he continue in the military."

Ed's eye narrowed and he saw the other two hold themselves still. Mustang's fingers twitched again and Edward flicked his tail to cover the movement.

"Yes Sir," Breda said woodenly.

General Hakuro turned and his hand went past Ed who reacted as any cat would when presented with an object moving past its face. He struck out with his claws and snagged them in the General's fingers. The General swore and Edward hissed. The General lifted his hand and Ed rose up with it. He twisted slightly and tried to retract his claws but the General shook his hand and Ed instinctively tightened his grip.

"Hold still, Sir," Hawkeye said and tried to reach around to grab the cat. But Hakuro moved, shaking his hand violently and Ed lost his grip and was tossed to one side. He tried to twist in mid-air but the bed rail was in the way and he struck it sideways. He heard his ribs crack and he slipped down to the floor. It hurt to breathe and he hissed as he tried to move and felt the sharp stabbing pain in his side.

Breda knelt beside him and Hawkeye was leading Hakuro from the room, calling for a nurse as she went through the door. Ed closed his eye briefly and growled as someone lightly touched his side. His eye opened and he stared at Breda before stretching out a paw and trying to drag himself under the bed. He wanted to get away from here. He needed to find a place to hide and hole up to tend to his injuries.

Breda reached out and Edward struck with a hiss. Instinct demanded he find a safe place. He dragged himself a bit further under the bed. Breathing was hard and he could hear it rasping in his ears. He had had cracked ribs before. He just wanted to get away and lie still and let them heal. Damn it was hard to crawl like this he thought. He took a careful breath and felt them burn.

When the blanket was laid over him he hissed and growled but he couldn't move, it hurt too much and he whimpered as they lifted him up. They placed him on the bed and he saw Breda and a nurse looking at him.

"I think he broke his ribs," Breda said and Ed saw the round face was pale.

The nurse prodded Ed's side carefully and he hissed and tried to move away.

"I think you're right and we're not an animal hospital, but I think we could strap them for him and I'll see if I can get a veterinarian to call."

Ed listened to them and miaowed. Instinct was warring with his human sensibilities. He knew that they could help him but he still wanted to hide away somewhere.

"Little one." Mustang's voice was weak and Breda shifted Edward up the bed where Mustang's fingers could just rest on the cat's head.

"He's ok, Sir. Just a cracked rib or two," Breda said soothingly and Edward rolled his eye even as his head rubbed against Mustang's fingers.

"Not useless," Mustang said slurring slightly before his eye closed and Ed miaowed in agreement.

* * *

The young blond boy with hazel eyes looked around as he walked down the wide boulevard. He found the signs that directed him towards Central's train station and he slipped easily through the bustling crowds of shoppers and pedestrians.

He stood for awhile watching the people boarding and disembarking before he moved. In a smooth manouevre he swung himself up between two cars and over the other side before anyone saw him. He slipped into the baggage car and secreted himself away into a darkened corner.

He smiled when the train began to move.

* * *

Alfons Heiderich was surprised by the knowledge young Al had. He had been skeptical when the Professor had suggested it but after ten minutes when Al had answered a question that he, himself had not known he had begun to change his mind.

They had spoken and talked about the text book for a while and Alfons had been forced to admit that when it came to chemistry, Al knew a lot more than he did. His knowledge of mathematics was equally impressive. He knew some biology and basic physics but the arts and social sciences were a closed book. Alfons decided to teach Al physics.

Hohenheim watched as the two sat at the table and began to talk. He stood up and went to his study. They wouldn't miss him for awhile. He sat at his desk and sighed.

Al wanted to go home. He wanted to go back to Edward. Hohenheim had spent a lot of time seeking a way back, but alchemy just didn't work this side of the Gate and given the way the Gate operated he doubted it could be opened from this side. His eye caught on the opened envelope sitting to one side on his desk. He pursed his lips.

There were some doors that should never be opened he thought. And some letters too.

* * *

Edward was awake when Hawkeye finally returned with Havoc and Fuery. They had strapped his ribs and he was unable to move. Breathing hurt and he knew it would be like this for a few weeks at least. Mustang's fingers stayed near his head and he would occasionally rub his head against them. He needed to know he was not alone here because it really felt like it at times.

Breda stood up as they entered and they all looked at the Brigadier-General. His eye was open and he stared blearily at them. Hawkeye moved closer.

"Roy?" She queried gently and he blinked at her as his lips parted and he managed a croaked "Yes."

She sighed in relief and smiled before she straightened her face back into its usual stern features.

"General Hakuro has begun to make his move on Military Command, but there are a few who don't want him there and there are also rumours of a civilian Parliament taking control. Given the numbers, if the anti-Hakuro party and the ones wanting a Parliament combine, then Hakuro just might be out-numbered. I'm not sure if he would resort to open fighting, but it might come to that."

Edward felt Mustang's fingers tense and shifted slightly to press against them. The single eye blinked. "More."

"The troops in the North have been recalled and most are being sent back to their respective garrisons, but several units are apparently on their way to Headquarters. I have called back Major Armstrong and Falman and they should be here in two days. They're following the other units to see exactly where they do go."

"Edward?" Mustang asked. Ed batted his head against Mustang's fingers.

"There's no sign of him, Sir. Fuery went back with the young woman, Rose her name is, and there was no trace of him. She said Edward got her out of there and then went back in."

"Al…phonse?" He asked, his voice breaking. Edward could feel his fingers trembling and knew Mustang was really pushing himself now.

There was silence. Mustang's crew looked at each other and then at the floor.

Ed hissed at their silence and growled. "Tell him about my brother." It hurt to growl so he ended on a whimper but his noise seemed to break their indecision.

"Alphonse's body has disappeared," Hawkeye said and looked uncomfortable.

Edward sensed it first. Mustang's fingers went rigid against his ears and Ed tried to rise up. He hissed urgently as his ribs burned and he struggled to push himself closer to Mustang.

"Don't you dare do anything stupid, you bastard!" He hissed and bit gently at Mustang's hand.

Hawkeye watched as Mustang's eye went wide and his face paled alarmingly. The cat's hissing drew her attention to his unnatural stillness and she ran to the door for a doctor. Havoc went to one side of the bed and began calling Mustang's name. Breda and Fuery watched with wide eyes as the little cat bit Mustang and the dark eye blinked and his breath began to wheeze out in loud gasps.

Edward closed his eye and let go and slumped down. Damn his ribs hurt. He didn't have the strength to move and he had to take very shallow breaths. "You are stupid, Mustang. So damned stupid." He whimpered between the tremors of agony from his ribs.

The doctor and nurses came rushing in and began examining the Brigadier-General.

"What happened?" The doctor asked.

"We told him some bad news," Havoc said laconically.

"He seemed to stop breathing and tensed up completely," Hawkeye said.

The doctor nodded. "Bad news indeed. Well, he doesn't seem to reopened his wounds and he's breathing normally now."

"We had to tell him, Doc. He asked and we couldn't keep it from him," Breda said.

"Now he knows we don't have to be as careful as we have been, but I would advise against discussing it too much. Now he's awake he needs to be kept mentally stimulated otherwise he could slip into a depressive state because he can't do anything strenuous yet. Try and keep him interested in things, preferably nothing too serious. When he wants to discuss those matters, try and keep it simple and do not put any stress on it. We can set up a holder for books and newspapers because he'll have to adjust to his new visual perception. Hopefully they will distract him further."

"That cat brought him back," Breda remarked and Fuery nodded. They looked at the little cat. He was trembling as he lay there and they could see the effort he was making to breathe.

"We'll get someone to look at him," the doctor promised.

"You have that cat on the brain, Breda," Havoc said and they started to lightly argue between themselves.

"I do not, Havoc," Breda protested. "Besides, after striking out with all the nurses, you're just hoping the vet is female."

Hawkeye ignored them and went over to Mustang. She looked at him and he blinked at her.

"We're doing all we can to find him, Roy," she said softly. "We _will_ find him."

Both Mustang and Edward twitched at her words. The cat miaowed at the same time as Mustang mumbled.

"Promise?"

"Promise," she replied.

* * *

A week after they first met, Alfons showed Al the plans he had for a propulsion system that could launch an attached rocket into the upper atmosphere. With enough power he was fairly certain it could carry people higher than was possible with the current dirigibles and aeroplanes.

The two of them began to work over the calculations every evening. After two weeks, Hohenheim threw his hands up in the air and told Alfons to just move in with them. After all he was spending every other night sleeping on their couch, it seemed only right he should have the spare bed.

Al went with Alfons to the large University library and began to spend hours in there while Alfons attended his lectures. Alfons would log the books out for him and he marveled at the young teen's eclectic interests. From the physics to the arcane and some human biology as well.

Hohenheim frowned when he saw some of the more esoteric works but said nothing and when Alfons entered the study soon afterwards, he found the Professor staring blackly at an opened envelope.

* * *

The train headed south for two days before the hazel eyed blond got off the train in the same unnoticed way he got on. He disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Mustang slowly gained some coherency and insisted they read him the newspaper. Every morning Hawkeye would come in and give her report. Things were not going well for Hakuro. The two other parties had united and he had found himself out-numbered. The troops he had been hoping to use, suddenly found their weapons irreparably disabled. They did not see any connection between that event and the large Major who had passed their armoury earlier that evening.

The anticipated violence did not eventuate and Hakuro was taken into protective custody and was apparently being questioned by several of the more neutral generals.

"They think it'll be over with by week's end," Hawkeye said on the third day. "The neutrals are willing to align themselves and the military with the new Parliament, provided they are left in nominal command."

"Stupid," Mustang said slowly. "They'll be replaced later."

"They'll probably be coming here to question you as well," Hawkeye warned. "You were known to have supported Hakuro."

"Didn't want Hakuro to become Fuhrer," Mustang said and his fingers ran through the little cat's fur. It was hard to talk fluently yet. His mind had to keep stopping and waiting for his mouth to catch up. They said it was due to the eye injury and the shock it had caused to his brain. But they did keep reassuring him that it would pass. He just wanted to get better faster. This was annoying and it was humiliating to be reduced to this. He hated it.

Hawkeye sighed. This was the part she hated. This was when both Roy and the cat would look at her and she could see the hope in both their eyes.

"There's still no sign of Alphonse."

The cat whimpered and its head lowered and Mustang echoed her sigh.

"Winry Rockbell arrived and has been helping us. She brought a photo with her and we've been using it." Hawkeye looked at the floor. "We just can not figure out how anyone removed him from the mortuary. The attendant says there were no cars or trucks near the place all night. To get out he had to be carried and no-one remembers seeing anything like that either."

"Forbidden transmutations?"

"We've heard nothing and Jean's got some ears in the local authority. Nothing has been reported. Fuery wants to know if he can tap a few lines, mainly from the research facilities. I told him yes. I didn't think you'd object."

"Good." Mustang thought. "Check stations and depots."

"You think they'd take him away from Central?"

"Possible. If planning illegal, I would." Mustang said, skipping words as he did sometimes. A verbal shorthand that allowed him to feel less humiliated by the slowness of his speech.

"Yes, that's true. I'll get Armstrong to check them all. He copied the photo so he has a very good drawing to show."

Mustang smiled at that. Yes, Armstrong's famed drawing technique was always more effective when accompanied by the artist himself.

"We will find him, Roy," Hawkeye said.

"I know. Riza. I know," Roy replied and watched as she left.

His fingers tightened in the soft fur and the cat looked up at him with a small miaow.

"It's all we have left, little one. We have to believe," he said softly and slowly and the cat rubbed against his hand as it whimpered again.

Al and Alfons managed to blow up Hohenheim's kitchen.

"Too much ethanol perhaps?" Alfons remarked as he waved his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke and the smell away.

"Yes and maybe the nitric ratio needs recalibrating too," Al said as he did the same.

"Have you boys considered taking it outside?" Hohenheim stood in the blackened doorway.

"Maybe a bigger hypergolic tank and a better control for the valve."

"Do you think we should try three tanks?"

"Boys! Outside!" Hohenheim shouted at them.

* * *

The hazel eyes scanned the empty space in the middle of the overgrown jungle. Stones had weathered and fallen, Moss had encroached between the stones he walked over. It hadn't been that long since anyone had been here but the jungle had moved swiftly.

He stopped at the edge of the deep fissure that split the ground and looked at it speculatively. Blond hair lifted in the breeze and his head came up. He turned slowly and narrowed his eyes. He walked cautiously towards the undergrowth and paused.

He heard it again. There was someone there. Nearly silently he paced slowly around the trees, finding a thin path and stopped.

A boy was huddled there. Black hair and dark eyes. He looked no older than eleven. The dark violet eyes looked up and widened as they met those of hazel. Mismatched limbs pushed him back against the tree in fear. The blond smiled and spoke his first words.

"Hello Wrath."

* * *

Edward Elric hurt. It hurt to breath, it hurt to move, it hurt. And it itched. Beneath the strapping was an unbearable itch and it hurt too much to scratch at it. He tried to get Mustang to scratch at it but the stupid man only scratched at his ears.

"Will you just scratch my ribs already, bastard?" He miaowed but the hand just ran across his head and teased at his ears. Ed hissed even as his head arched back.

Mustang was reading the paper but he could only read for a short time before his head would begin to ache and he would have to leave it until the headache passed. They were talking of moving him to a different ward tomorrow now that he was definitely not going to die on them.

Mustang leant back into his pillows and sighed. He looked at the little cat. There was no-one else around now. They didn't need to watch over him any more and it had become lonely in here with just his thoughts. Except for the cat. It stayed like he stayed. Because they were both too injured to move. Too injured to be of use.

"Useless," Mustang muttered and saw the cat look at him and flick an ear. "We're not useless are we, little one?"

"You are, if you don't scratch that damned itch, bastard," Edward complained. The cat miaowed at him and shifted against his hand and Mustang smiled at it.

"We'll get better." Mustang told it.

"Not if I scratch your other eye out, Mustang. Scratch my damned ribs!" Edward complained louder. The cat pressed against his hand and almost growled and tried to drag itself along the bed slightly, moving upwards so the strapped ribs were closer to his hand.

Mustang frowned and the cat whimpered. "Come on bastard, scratch me!" Ed shifted slightly, trying to roll closer. Mustang lifted his hand and the cat hissed at him. When he lowered it lightly onto the strapping, the little cat arched up and purred. Mustang dragged his fingers across the strapping and the cat closed its eye and purred louder. It _wriggled_ against his fingers. Mustang began to smile. He very carefully scratched at the strapping and the cat went boneless as the purr made his whole body shake.

Edward purred. That was just so good. It hurt but it was so damned good. He arched up to make Mustang press harder. That damned itch was still there but it was easing the longer Mustang kept scratching. Maybe he would keep him for a bit longer. As long as he kept doing that. He purred louder and melted into the blankets.

The door opened and Mustang stopped smiling and scratching as he saw the military uniforms enter. Edward was going to protest but he felt the weight of Mustang's hand and stayed quiet. He opened his eye and saw the bland faces of three strangers. He looked around. Why wasn't Hawkeye or any of the crew here?

"Brigadier-General Mustang. If we may have a moment of your time?"

"Of course, General," Mustang said in his slowed way and reached back to buzz for a nurse to bring some chairs in.

Edward stayed under Mustang's hand and watched as they questioned him. He could feel the man's frustration at times as his hand would tighten and the words wouldn't come out straight. Edward knew Mustang well enough to know when he was concealing things and outright lying. But they remained oblivious of that and Mustang tailored his answers to suit their preconceptions.

Yes, he had been at the Fuhrer's estate that night. Yes, there had been a fire. No, he couldn't remember how it had started. He shook and went dreadfully pale and Edward whimpered as Mustang suddenly gripped him tight.

"The boy. He killed the boy," He whispered and his eye was wide. Ed miaowed and Mustang blinked and loosened his grip.

"Sorry." He apologised to the Generals and he lightly scratched Edward's ribs in a silent apology before continuing.

Yes, he remembered Frank Archer shooting him but after that it was rather blurry and he vaguely remembered collapsing into the car. No, he had no idea General Hakuro had been intending to stage a coup. Yes, he had offered his support but only as one officer did to one's superior in the course of normal duties. Even had he been uninjured he would not have supported the General in a takeover attempt.

No, he had no intention of leaving the military at this stage although until he knew the full extent of his recovery, it was too early to be more definite. Yes, he had every intention of remaining in Central.

The words became harder and harder to get past his lips as his mouth went dry. Ed could feel his hand trembling and wondered what he could do to shorten this. Mustang wasn't fit to continue for much longer.

"And finally, Brigadier-General Mustang, what about the Elrics?"

Mustang tried to lick his lips as both he and the little cat went tense.

"I don't know where Major Elric went. He said he had discovered something that was detr...detrim... harmful for the military." Mustang paused and took a deep breath. "He said he would report back later." Mustang stumbled over the words and he began to shake.

"Sorry, so hard." And his eye became unfocused and his head rolled to one side. Edward miaowed and pushed himself against Mustang. He miaowed again, more urgently and looked at the Generals sitting there. He hissed at them and one of them finally stood up and went to the door to get a nurse.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but he can't do anymore now," she said firmly as she pushed the buzzer for another nurse. Ed miaowed at her and she patted him absently. "It's okay little one, we'll get him settled."

"I think we've finished anyway, Nurse." One of them spoke calmly. "Tell him to take his time and we will keep in contact with him."

"Yes Sir." Ed miaowed at them and one of them smiled at him.

"I see the General has a staunch little defender."

"That he does, Sir. This little one is better than any doctor sometimes." She smiled as she spoke and they laughed when Ed hissed at her. He watched as they left and the nurses settled Mustang back against his pillows and left him sleeping.

"You bastard, Mustang. You used me again." Edward hissed and was not surprised when he heard the weak chuckle from the 'sleeping' man. Shaky fingers slid across his head and curled over his ribs.

"We did well, little one." He said as he let the exhaustion take him into real sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: And so it continues.

Time moves differently on the other side of the Gate. Al's plot line will always have more elapsed time than Edward's will.

Thank you so much for all the reviews and comments for this little one. I am truly grateful that you enjoy this.

silken :)


	5. Departures

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters therein.

* * *

**5: Departures  
**

Hazel eyes looked at the frightened boy as he cowered against the tree.

"It wasn't hard to find you, Wrath." The blond hunkered down in front of him and smiled. "I thought you might return to the old place but when you weren't there, I just knew you'd come here."

"Who are you?" The violet eyes stared at the young blond.

"You don't recognize me?" The blond laughed. "Understandable I guess, when you've never seen this form before." He smiled and leant closer. "It's me, Wrath. Envy."

The violet eyes opened wide and then narrowed. "You!" he said in tones of deep loathing and fear.

"Oh yes, me indeed." Envy laughed. "You see, there's only us left now, Wrath. All the others have gone."

"I don't want anything to do with you." Wrath said and turned his face away.

"You don't have a choice, Wrath. There is absolutely no-one else who knows about you, who cares about you, who even _thinks_ about you."

* * *

Edward stretched and regretted it instantly. His ribs pulled and he whimpered. Mustang's hand stroked the side of his head and Ed sighed. It was a damned insult, he thought. Mustang was getting better quicker than he was.

They had moved him into another ward. They had been in to change his dressings and the bruising around his now empty eye-socket was starting to fade although the swelling was still impressive. Ed had lain there and felt Mustang twitch and jump as they tested and prodded at his shoulder as well. He had felt the man shaking as he gritted his teeth to stop himself from making any noise. Ed had pressed his head against Mustang's hand and stayed there until he had stopped trembling.

New nurses came through and several looked askance at the cat. But no-one removed him. They all knew that the Brigadier-General and the cat were inseparable. Even the doctor would not separate them. And Edward had to rely on them now. He was completely at their mercy and he hated it.

He was confined to the bed with these damned broken ribs and his tray was beneath it. The first time he had needed to use it, it had taken nearly half an hour for him to make Mustang understand that if he didn't get someone to put Edward on the floor, Mustang was going to have a very large wet spot on his bed. And Ed had already determined the right angle to make it appear as if the bastard had been the one responsible. After five days, Mustang knew now exactly what the little cat wanted when it dug in a claw and miaowed a particular way. Ed knew he probably didn't need to still use the claw now he had Mustang trained, but he enjoyed watching the man jump too much to stop it.

It was the only enjoyment he had. It was so humiliating, not to mention painful, having someone put him down and then picking him back up again after he had finished. He wondered why they just didn't leave him on the floor. He could have a blanket under there and he wouldn't have to rely on anyone. Except for food.

Mustang was reading the paper again. He could read for longer now but he would sink into his pillows and stare at the ceiling for long moments before pulling himself back up to the paper. He could barely use his left arm and he wouldn't eat if there was anyone else in the room. They were only allowing him soft foods but his new perception meant that he would miss his mouth and spill the soup or egg. The first time it had happened, he had ended up sweeping it all off the tray and onto the floor in his frustration. Edward had chuckled inside but he remembered how hard it had been when he had first had the automail and the frustrations he had felt at not being able to make his arm work.

He had pushed himself against Mustang and purred softly. Any louder and it hurt his ribs. It had taken a while but Mustang had finally calmed down and an intelligent nurse had entered. She had placed a towel over him like an oversized bib and given him a fresh meal. She had left the room, just telling him to buzz when he was finished. And they had been doing it that way ever since. With no-one around, it was easier for him to eat and he rarely spilled because he didn't get nervous or frustrated. The moment anyone entered though, he became self-conscious and the spills occurred.

Edward was rather surprised at how patient Mustang was being. Hawkeye came by every evening with a report and sometimes Havoc would accompany her. Central was changing and Mustang was avid for information. General Hakuro hadn't been seen for a few days and there were rumours that he had been executed or that he had escaped the 'protective custody' he had been in. The nascent Parliament was trying to consolidate itself and find some reasons for legitimacy and they had visited Mustang again to see if he would be willing to accept a position within the new military hierarchy. Edward had listened carefully. Mustang had been slow in word and manner and had not given them an answer citing the uncertainty of just how well he would recover as his reason. After all, the doctors were still worried that he might lose a toe or two after the lack of blood supply had affected them.

Edward had made sure they hadn't seen him rolling his eye and had hidden his face in the blankets, but his ears and tail had been twitching madly as he struggled to contain himself. It was probably just as well cats couldn't laugh he thought.

They had not found his brother, they had no ideas as to how he had been taken. There were no rumours, no disturbances, nothing. Ed didn't know if that was good or bad. All he wanted was his brother back. Mustang would sigh and Ed would whimper every time Hawkeye informed them of their lack of progress.

By the time a week had passed, they were starting to let Mustang get out of bed. He moved slowly and Edward watched as the man struggled with his balance and his general weakness. The man was not happy and Edward didn't blame him. Edward wasn't exactly happy either. He had fallen off the bed and had managed to crack another rib.

It wasn't his fault that one of newer nurses was allergic to cats and when she had seen the little golden ears flicker as she had been helping change the sheets, she had screamed and pulled too fast and Edward had left the bed along with all the linen. He had not even been able to hiss at her. Damn he thought, being a cat was more dangerous than being an alchemist.

It aggravated him that he was stuck here. He wanted to be out there, looking for his brother, not cooped up in here with busted ribs and a busted General.

* * *

It took Hohenheim a couple of weeks to decide to reply to the letter. Al and Alfons worked and studied together and he could see the brotherly bond building between them. They laughed and tested each other on everything. Plans and strange bits of machinery began to infest the house. Arguments occasionally broke out and there would be loud debates in front of a blackboard as they tried to prove or refute theorems and formulae.

But often Hohenheim would find Al staring blindly out the window, his face a sorrowed mask. Several times he had heard the boy stifling tears during the night. His son wanted to go home. For all he was making a place for himself here, it wasn't the same. It wasn't _home_. And it lacked the one thing he truly wanted. Edward.

Hohenheim answered the letter, sending it off and couldn't stop the chill running down his spine.

* * *

Roy Mustang turned his head on the pillows and looked at the wall. Plain, boring wall. The whole room was plain and boring. Being here was boring. His head hurt. It always hurt. And his shoulder ached. They said he was getting better, but it wasn't happening fast enough to suit him. They said he had been extremely lucky, but he didn't agree with them.

He had lost his chance at becoming Fuhrer. The new political agendas and hierarchies were not going to allow him to try again. It would become a home for bureaucrats and Mustang had never enjoyed politics to that extent. But he was going to stay and he was going to watch. They weren't going to get rid of him.

The little cat whimpered at his side and he turned his head to look at it. It was sleeping and twitching. He smiled at it. The little thing had probably saved his life they kept telling him. All it seemed to do was hiss and growl at him. Even its miaowing had an edge to it. Given the eye colour and its attitude he was very tempted to name the cat 'Edward'. And he had smirked at what Edward's reaction would be when he returned and found Mustang had a cat named after him. Because Mustang was sure that Edward was out there somewhere, alive. Unable to return, lost and maybe hurt. But Edward was alive, it was just impossible for him to be dead.

It was one reason why he was determined to find Al. There was no way he wanted Edward to return and find out that his brother's body was gone.

"Hawkeye promised us," he murmured and saw the cat open its eye and blink at him. The little nose scrunched up and he sneezed before closing his eye again. Mustang ran his fingers over the soft fur and the cat pressed against them briefly before settling back into sleep.

"Maybe you're right, little one. What else is there to do but sleep?"

* * *

It took Envy a week to threaten, persuade and generally terrify Wrath into agreeing to leaving the island. The younger Sin just did not want to go. He did not like Envy. Envy had lied to him and used him in the past. And he wasn't completely stupid, he knew Envy wanted to use him again. Because he could make things happen and Envy couldn't.

But Envy was quick and he was dangerous. That innocent looking face hid a monster and Wrath feared it. Envy never shifted his shape anymore, Wrath noticed. He stayed with that blond haired form. Wrath was rather grateful for that. He didn't want to ever see again some of those other forms. Like Mother. Like Sloth. And he knew Envy would torment him with those images. Which made him wonder why Envy had never changed during the whole time he had been trying to persuade him.

"You can't change shape any more, can you?" Wrath said suddenly. He didn't realise he'd said the words out loud until Envy turned to look at him. Wrath took a step back at the expression on his face.

"You can be clever. It's only taken you a week to figure that out." Envy sneered slightly. He was not pleased at all at the loss of his shape-changing abilities. It was all the fault of that little Fullmetal pipsqueak. Whatever he had done as they had killed each other had stuck him in this form. Envy remembered the array sparking around them as Ed had died. But Envy wasn't alive and given time he would have recovered from the injury. But he hadn't. He had been caught up in the alchemic reaction and the next thing he knew, he was lying under a sheet on a cold tray surrounded by dead people.

He had made sure no-one was around and had managed to get himself out of there. His legs had been very shaky and it had taken him a few hours before he could move confidently in this body. He had stretched and paced and then sworn viciously when he couldn't change. He still had his strength and his speed. He had all his memories and his tattoo but he couldn't change.

He knew who's image he had. He had seen the original die. He had squeezed the life out of him with his own hands. And he had laughed at the expression on that stupid alchemist's face. Elric had been shattered. He had seen it in those damned golden eyes. He had watched Edward's soul disintegrate. For that moment they had truly been brothers he thought. Both empty with no soul. Until the little bastard had killed Dante and then come after him.

But now, he had an opportunity for revenge. An opportunity to do things his way, with no old woman to appease. He looked at the nervous Wrath and smiled.

"I think you're the one who needs to change, Wrath. I think you need to have your hair braided."

* * *

Roy Mustang looked up as Riza Hawkeye entered and he knew something had happened. He wasn't sure if it was good news or bad, but it was definitely something. The little cat seemed to realise it too as Mustang felt it shift and lift its head up with a querying miaow.

"What is it Hawkeye?" he asked and he saw her blink in surprise. Didn't she know he knew her that well, he wondered.

"There's … there's some word about Alphonse." She spoke cautiously and saw both Mustang and the cat react. Mustang sat up straighter and the cat tried to rise but hissed as its ribs protested and had to lie back again.

"What is it?" Roy repeated.

"Someone says they saw him in the street near the Old Markets," she said in a rush.

"In the street?" Mustang stared at her and the cat blinked. "That's impossible! Exactly what do you mean by 'in the street'?"

"A woman says he helped her pick up her shopping after she nearly got hit by a car," Hawkeye stated.

"That is impossible, Hawkeye! Al is dead. We both saw that. Are you sure it was him and not someone who looks like him?" Mustang protested and the little cat was twitching.

"We're sure." She paused. "Roy, both Winry and Major Armstrong had the pictures there. The woman swears it was him."

The cat miaowed impatiently and Roy absently scratched its ears.

"Did he speak at all?" he asked.

"No, he helped her and then he left. She says he never spoke, only smiled at her."

The room fell silent. Alphonse Elric was dead. They had all seen him lying there. There was no way that he could be alive and walking around Central. Hawkeye and the others had been scouring the city for two weeks now and this was the first thing had found. She knew they would keep going and they would find this 'twin' and make sure that it wasn't Al.

Mustang didn't believe it to be Al. It had to be someone else. Al was dead, there could be no doubt about that. He was going to have them widen their search and find this look-alike and then continue until they found the real Al's body.

Edward shook all the way to his tail. Unlike the other two, he did believe that Al could be up and walking. Not alive but not dead either. He had fought them, he had created one. Now it was very possible his brother had become one. Homunculus.

And it would be his fault. He was sure of it. He had turned his brother into a monster. He must have used the array. He tried to remember. He remembered getting Rose out and he knew went back in to bring Al back, to restore to Al all he had lost. Yes! He had done that. He remembered. He had had finally seen his brother in the flesh again, the armour disappearing to reveal a frightened ten year old. And he had gone to hold him, to protect him and…and… Something had happened. Dammit, he couldn't remember. Dante had been there and Envy as well. He growled in frustration. What had they done to cause his brother to die? What had happened?

_Because the only reason I would have activated that array again would have been to bring Al back again,_ Ed thought. He put his head down and howled into the blankets. Hadn't he learnt the first time? This time he really had gone and lost his brother.

Mustang watched as the little cat howled and rested his hand on its back. It didn't react and he could feel it shaking in distress. He looked up at Hawkeye and found her watching him.

* * *

When the reply came, Hohenheim didn't open it for two days. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled at the back of his mind. But he heard Al cry in his sleep again and knew he had no choice.

It contained what he expected and he debated with himself for the afternoon before calling the boys into his study that evening.

"I have a letter here, offering me a place with a research organization," he began and watched as they merely stared back at him.

"Are you going to accept it, Dad?" Al asked, slightly puzzled as to why his father would discuss this with them.

"It depends." Hohenheim paused. "It depends on you two." They straightened up and hazel and grey eyes became interested.

"It's in Germany," he said and Alfons' eyes went wide. Al looked a bit puzzled.

"Where's that?"

* * *

Edward didn't eat his next meal and when they put him on the floor he pulled himself right into the furthest corner he could. They had to move the bed to get to him. He hissed at Mustang when the man went to stroke him.

This was worse than losing a body. He had lost Al's soul. He had been able to save that last time. This time he hadn't. He was the biggest, dumbest idiot there ever was. Just like last time, the problem wasn't the calculations, it was him. He wasn't supposed to have survived. He was the one who should be dead. You weren't supposed to survive sacrifices. Even if he was in a different form now. This wasn't equivalence, this was a joke. A very bad one.

Roy Mustang became worried when the little cat refused to eat for the second time. It didn't even lift its head and it tried to burrow into the blankets. He felt it pressed against him and it would shake occasionally. But it stayed quiet and unresponsive. He ran his hand across its ears and they didn't even move. The single eye was closed but he didn't know if it was sleeping or not.

When they came to change his sheets, Mustang was helped into the bedside chair and the cat was placed across his lap. Usually the cat would complain and whimper at being moved, but this time he just lay there limply. Mustang frowned. The little thing had been behaving strangely ever since yesterday when Hawkeye had told them about Al.

He waited until he was settled back in the bed and they replaced the small blanket the cat always stayed on. He tugged at the blanket and it slid up the bed with the cat on it. Usually the animal was down near his hip but now he wanted the cat closer. His fingers stroked the cat gently and it stayed still.

"What is it, little one?" he murmured. "What do you know that we don't, hey?" He kept his voice soft. He didn't want the nurses to come running in thinking he was delirious and he didn't want to startle the cat either.

"You were there, weren't you little one? You saw something." Roy kept stroking gently and felt the cat shudder with a breath. Whiskers twitched. "You were upset at him dying, little one. It should never have happened. But it did." The whiskers twitched again.

"You're not alone, little one. We all miss him too." Mustang shifted and slipped down into his pillows and pulled the cat closer. His fingers ran through the soft fur. "We will get him back, little one. His brother will kill me if we don't," he added in a low tone.

The little ears flicked and the nose scrunched up. Mustang waited for the sneeze but it never came. The cat opened its single eye and stared at him. If a cat could cry, he thought as he stared back with his one eye. If a cat could cry, this one would.

-  


* * *

Hohenheim took a day and then wrote back with his acceptance.

Alfons had looked surprised at Al's lack of geographical knowledge and had gone straight to the atlas. He was then left speechless as he discovered the totality of Al's ignorance. Alphonse Elric, mathematical and chemical genius and rising physics star, didn't know any of the countries in the maps. Alfons nearly asked the boy if he knew the earth was round, he just couldn't believe that anyone didn't know where they were in the world.

The Professor had just said that Al had lived in the country most of his life and Al had never behaved otherwise. He had been in awe of the University and its library. He had looked around him with wide eyes every time they went out into the city to get supplies and materials for their experiments. Alfons had never thought to ask Al about his home at all. All he knew was that Al had a brother who was a long way away and they couldn't contact him.

Al had exchanged a glance with his dad and his dad had shaken his head. He didn't think it wise to tell Alfons that they came from another world just yet. Alfons was too scientifically minded, he wasn't going to believe them anyway.

And Hohenheim watched as Alfons had distracted himself from the subject by starting to tell Al of all the progress German scientists were making in the fields of aeronautics and rocketry.

* * *

Roy watched over the little cat for the next day and finally managed to get it to eat when he hand fed it, dipping his fingers into the fish and placing them right under the little nose. The cat had turned away at first but Roy was persistent and after awhile it gave in and licked the fingers, tasting the fish. The first wave of flavour made Ed's stomach feel suddenly empty as it woke up and reminded him he hadn't eaten anything in nearly two days. The fingers appeared again and he licked a bit more eagerly, the rough tongue catching on the small piece of fish.

Ed heard Mustang chuckle and looked up at the man. He was smiling at him. Ed blinked. Was the man okay? He was hand feeding a cat and smiling about it? Wait. He was the one being fed. Ed growled and put his head down. I have turned my brother into a homunculus and the bastard is feeding me. He swore into the blankets in a low hiss.

"Come on, little one. Have a bit more." Roy encouraged and waited until the golden head lifted up slightly and the raspy tongue licked the fish from his fingers. It was a strange feeling, Roy thought. It was almost like the feel of the ignition cloth his gloves were made from. It had worried him the way the cat had withdrawn so totally. He was becoming convinced that this little one had been Al's cat. There was nothing else to explain the cat's behaviour, he thought. He wondered how long Al had had it for and if Ed had known about it.

The cat miaowed and Roy realised he'd been staring off into space. "Sorry little one," he said as he quickly offered some more fish. Everyone saw the cat as his now. He didn't know why it seemed content to stay here with him. He knew it had no choice at the moment, but judging from what the staff and his crew had told him, the little beast had been beside him for nearly every moment since they had found it. And the only subject that caused it to react strangely was Al. It had to have been Al's cat.

He had never really considered cats to be as loyal as dogs. He had only just escaped having a cat after that battle assessment. And now, it appeared he had one after all. He looked at the little cat as it licked more fish from his fingers.

"I guess we're stuck with each other, little one." The cat looked up at him and the golden eye narrowed.

Just how trainable would Mustang be, Ed wondered. If he was going to be stuck with the bastard then the man would have to learn to take proper care of him. He wasn't going to let Mustang treat him like he did when he'd been human.

The door opened and they both looked to see who it was. Hawkeye and Havoc came in. Ed's eye narrowed. There was more news and he miaowed impatiently. "Tell me."

Mustang offered the cat more fish and had it batted away. "Dumb bastard, that wasn't a 'feed me' noise," Ed growled at him.

"You and the cat getting along I see," Havoc said with a grin as Mustang pushed the fish closer and a reluctant cat had it nearly shoved into his mouth as it growled.

"Tell me, Hawkeye." Mustang said calmly as he neatly force fed the cat with more fish. Ed almost choked and hissed but he looked at Hawkeye and waited.

"There's been another sighting. At the train station," she said. "It's about two weeks ago. Someone says they saw him standing watching the trains and then he just disappeared."

"Did anyone see him board a train?"

"No. We've checked and none of the guards recall seeing him on any train."

"But it's not too hard to sneak onto one though," Havoc said as stood by the bed and absently offered the cat some fish. Ed stared at him and then at his fingers. "The security on them is pretty lax." He drew his hand back quickly as he felt the raspy tongue picking the fish from his fingers. It tickled. The cat was staring at him, so he offered it another piece and watched as the little tongue slid over his fingers again.

"Where were the trains headed?" Mustang asked.

"One Southbound and the other West," Hawkeye replied.

The cat looked at Hawkeye and miaowed. "South," Ed said and then turned his head to accept Havoc's next offering.

"We know the boys were familiar with the South, so I'd check that way first. Their old teacher lives there, I think Ed once mentioned it," Mustang said thoughtfully.

"I'll send Major Armstrong and Falman," Hawkeye said and he nodded.

"And the situation at Headquarters?"

"We're being kept together at the moment, pending your return. But they are getting impatient. They've brought in a few of the old Generals and basically we're being run by a committee. The anti-Hakuro faction can't seem to find anyone to support to make a push for control and there have been calls to get rid of the position of Fuhrer and just have a Commander-In-Chief who would report direct to the parliament," Hawkeye said.

"That would be no sinecure. He'd need the support of just about everyone, not just a few factions," Mustang replied and sighed. He was really missing out on so much by being stuck in here.

Havoc swore loudly and stepped back from the bed. Mustang and Hawkeye looked at him and he stared right back at them, his blue eyes moving from one to the other.

"That damned cat bit me!"

* * *

It took Envy another three days to get Wrath off the island. He had not been happy when Envy had outlined his plans. He knew Envy could change his mind from one minute to the next and he would be the one caught in the middle of everything if it all went wrong.

Envy wanted red stones and he had list of places to go and he was going to use Wrath any way he could to achieve that. Wrath didn't really know why he was following Envy now. Envy was right he thought. _No-one else knows I exist. Every one I knew is gone._ Even that dark haired woman who had first brought him here. He had gone looking for her before he had come to the island and he had not found her. He was all alone.

Except for Envy. He scowled as he watched the blond bail out the boat he had stolen and looked around him. This was the closest thing he had to a place that was his. 'Home' that dark haired woman had once called it. Envy was taking him from his home.

* * *

Al and Alfons looked at the normally calm Professor.

"You can not take that!" He shouted at them. "It is too much! It is too dangerous!"

'It' was a twelve foot long and four foot wide cylinder of steel with loose pipes and valves and wires and gauges sitting inside it. Hohenheim had spent a week packing his books and getting his affairs in order. The boys had packed their things which hadn't taken half as long as it was mainly drawings and plans.

"But Professor, it represents all we've accomplished so far." Alfons protested.

"No!"

"Dad, we can secure it. It will be safe and we'll look after it."

"Did you hear me at all, Alphonse Elric? No!"

"We've taken all the fluids out of it, Dad. It won't explode this time. I promise."

"You have all the plans and drawings for this. You can build another one when we get to Germany!" Hohenheim tugged at his pony tail. He had once believed that Edward would be the son who would prove too much for his four hundred year old heart, but now he knew it would be Alphonse who could claim to have killed his father.

"Dad. We can not rebuild this over there. The steel has different properties due to the manufacturing processes. We need this prototype to be able to get funding and assistance so we can research the differences and then we will be able to build one there. And we have taken all precautions and we have left behind all that we could. We've made it as light as possible." Hazel eyes looked up at him, sincere and honest and clearer than any he had ever seen before. Hohenheim did what Ed had learned not to do a long time ago.

Never, never look into Al's eyes when he really, really wanted something.

The next morning saw two men and a youth, two dozen cases of books, six suitcases and a large steel cylinder begin the journey to Germany.

* * *

Roy Mustang looked in the mirror and couldn't stop staring. They had removed the bandages from around his eye and the doctor had seemed quite pleased with the way the skin had joined and the material they had used to pack his empty eye socket had settled into a natural shape. They had tested the stitches and deemed it another week before they could start removing them. The doctor had been calm but the nurse had gone pale and he had seen it. He had asked for a mirror.

They had pulled his top eyelid down and sewn it closed. The stitching followed the line of his eyelid around from where his bottom eyelid used to be and then up and off to the side of his lower temple. The skin was red and discoloured but the swelling had almost gone. He lifted a hand and lightly touched where his eye had been. It was ugly he thought.

"Once the discolouration disappears and we get the stitches out, it will become smoother and we don't anticipate there being too much actual scarring. There's a small metal plate just under here…" and the doctor brushed his fingers under where the stitches went across "…to replace the bone we had to remove. If it hadn't shattered you might have kept the eye but you would have died," he said casually as he pulled the stitching slightly.

Mustang fingered the skin and could feel the hardness underneath. His skin felt tender and he kept the touches light. "…ugly," he murmured.

"It will become less of a sight as time goes on and we have some patches for when you're out in public. But you do need to leave the patch off sometimes. It won't heal properly if you keep it covered all the time." The doctor spoke firmly. "Now, let's look at your shoulder."

Ed watched. He had rolled over carefully and was watching the examination with interest. Scars didn't bother him. Scars were signs that you had taken risks, that you had at least tried. He didn't think Mustang would agree with him. He had seen Mustang in various stages of undress these last couple of weeks and he knew that he had few scars on his body. Something as large and obvious as a facial scar was not going to make Mustang happy. The one on his shoulder looked more impressive. The stitching made it look like a crazy patchwork confined to six inches of skin.

Ed miaowed and Roy's hand reached down and began lightly scratching his ribs. Ed purred. It wasn't too hard to train Mustang after all. All he had to do was to make sure he miaowed the right way and Mustang would scratch his itching ribs or get a nurse to put him on the floor and if he was preoccupied, to hand feed him.

They were releasing Mustang and Ed was quite happy to be leaving. He wasn't sure about Mustang though. He had been rather quiet since they had told him yesterday. Ed didn't know what arrangements had been made. Hawkeye had merely nodded last night and said she would organize it.

The doctor left and Mustang looked at the large eye patch in his hand. Ed miaowed at him and he turned his face to the cat. The cat stared at him and tilted its head.

"It's ugly, little one. It's like a stain." He turned away and picked up the mirror. "I always wondered why Edward hid his arm and leg. Automail isn't uncommon and I never cared if I could see it or not. But it's a mark of failure, isn't it. Shows that you tried and failed." He sighed and put the mirror down. He began to tie the patch on and adjusted it until it covered everything. He looked at the cat.

Edward growled at him. "You stupid bastard! I never hid it because I failed. I hid it because Al would always blame himself for me having it!"

"You'll get used it to it, little one," Roy said, thinking the cat had taken offense at his new look. "Only you and I will ever know what's under here."

"You are an idiot, Mustang," Ed miaowed very carefully.

Mustang stroked the little cat and smiled at him. Ed sighed and settled down. There was just no talking to the damned man, he thought. All his earlier sensitivity had gone, disappeared as he recovered. Ed was slightly disappointed by that.

Half an hour later, Hawkeye and Havoc entered to escort them to their new abode. Roy looked askance at the wheel chair but he walked carefully and sat down. Hawkeye lifted the cat on its blanket and placed it on Roy's lap after Havoc had emphatically refused to go near it. The cat had miaowed at him and Edward had settled carefully onto Mustang. He had limited movement now, but it still hurt to move.

Nurses had gathered to see him leave and he thanked them all with a suave charm that had Havoc rolling his eyes and Ed wondering if he would survive Mustang's reaction to sudden claws in his leg. Hawkeye remained her usual stern self and merely pushed the chair forward when she felt the moment was dragging too long.

"Where are we staying, Hawkeye?" Mustang asked as he levered himself into the car and the cat was placed next to him. Mustang shifted and picked it up and placed it back on his lap.

"My place, Sir. You still need supervision."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and comments and speculations. I really appreciate and enjoy knowing you like what I do.

silken :)


	6. Establishment

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**6: Establishment  
**

Edward lay quietly in Havoc's arms as they went up the stairs. Hawkeye and Mustang walked ahead of them. It was slow going and everyone was rather grateful that Hawkeye lived on the first floor and not the third.

It had taken a lot of persuasion to get Havoc to carry the cat. He was convinced the little monster had it in for him. It had bitten and scratched him more than anyone else. Both Hawkeye and Mustang had pointed out that the cat had broken ribs and was virtually unable to move and if he kept the blanket wrapped around it, it wouldn't be able to bite or scratch him. Edward had grinned to himself the whole time. He knew it was wrong but there was just something about Havoc that brought out his claws. In a nice way.

Once they were in Hawkeye's apartment, Havoc wasted no time in placing the cat on the couch next to Mustang and stepping away from it. Ed miaowed at him and Havoc stepped back further.

Edward shifted slowly on the couch. He could move better now but it still hurt. Mustang's hand rubbed against his head and they both looked around their new surroundings. It was a large open area combining kitchen and lounge with a small dining table in one corner. Several doors led to the bedrooms, bathroom and laundry. Havoc went back down for the small case that contained Mustang's belongings and placed it in the spare bedroom. There weren't many decorative touches on the walls but several bright floor rugs gave the room colour and warmth, and the filled vase on the table and several small figurines on the bookcases gave it a simple homeliness. A couple of blankets were lying over the couch and arm chair and the small table beside it had a book and empty cup on it.

Ed watched as his tray was put into the laundry and his bowl placed on the kitchen floor beside the two already there. He frowned. Oh yes, Black Hayate. Great. That was going to be exciting no doubt. Edward tensed his claws. No dog was going to be chasing him.

He watched the three of them as they made arrangements. Mustang was restricted in what he could do and it would be another two weeks before he would be allowed back to the office but they were organizing to have paperwork delivered. Nothing too complicated as he couldn't concentrate for long periods and he was still prone to headaches. Hawkeye would work half days for the next week until they were certain he could take care of himself. Ed could feel the tension in Mustang's fingers and nudged the man's hand. Mustang eased slightly and Ed purred absently.

Roy looked down and almost smiled. The cat seemed to know what he was feeling. It was hard hearing them discussing his abilities and lack of them. He had always prided himself on his self-sufficiency and his independence. He hadn't needed people to take physical care of him before and Maes had been his mental support. Now he was feeling the loss of his best friend again right when he needed him, and he had to rely on others for everything else. He hated it.

Havoc would go to Mustang's rooms and bring back more clothes and other items that he might need. Mustang wished he could have returned there but it had been labeled as 'unsuitable' by both the doctor and Hawkeye. He would have felt more comfortable there, despite it's drawbacks than he did here.

There was a knock on the door and Hawkeye went to answer it while Mustang gave Havoc a list of what he wanted and where it all was. Edward's nose scrunched up at the unfamiliar smell that suddenly entered and his ears flickered. He turned his head to see Black Hayate in the doorway. The dog was over twice his size. He felt his fur lifting along his back and he frowned as his instincts tried to take over. Fight or flight. Neither was an option in the condition he was in. Ed stayed where he was and forced himself to keep control of his rising instincts.

The door closed and Ed watched as Black Hayate sniffed the air and then he turned his head and saw the strange new creature in his territory. Even Hawkeye was not fast enough to stop him from rushing straight at the cat. Ed watched the dog close the gap and just as it got within range he swiped with his automail paw. Two lines appeared across the dog's nose and he stopped with a loud bark. Ed stared at him.

"Do not do that again," he hissed. Black Hayate growled and Edward growled back. "I mean it, Hayate, I will really scratch you next time." Ed didn't think Black Hayate understood him, he knew he didn't understand what the dog was growling about. But he knew one thing. He had to stay here and he was not going to let a dog get in the way of his recovery or anything else. He kept his eye on Black Hayate and watched as the dog finally stepped back with a small woof and went over to his water bowl.

Ed gave a small satisfied miaow and settled back into the couch. He felt Mustang's hand run down his back and flatten the fur that had risen earlier. When Black Hayate came back to say hello to Havoc neither animal paid the other any attention.

"I think we can relax about them getting along, Hawkeye," Mustang said lightly as he stroked the cat. Hawkeye looked from her dog to the cat and gave a small shrug. It would certainly make things much easier if they could live together in a form of harmony, although she was a bit surprised at how rapidly the two animals had come to their agreement. She looked at Roy. She had known he was not going to be separated from that cat.

"Can you get some cat food when you get Roy's things, Jean?" She asked as she watched Havoc ruffle Hayate's ears.

"Sure," he replied easily. "I'll go now."

* * *

Envy moved with a fluid grace and stared around him with gleaming eyes. Wrath slouched behind him and avoided looking at anyone. Not that anyone was paying much attention to the two youths as they slipped along the streets and alleys of Dublith. Wrath didn't know where Envy was going but Envy seemed to know precisely where he was headed as he kept moving forward.

Envy had been right. There was no-one else he could be with. Envy said he had seen that blond haired alchemist, the one who had the other parts of his body die. He said he had killed him. Even the metal one had gone. The one who had claimed to be his mother had disappeared. With the old woman gone as well there really was no-one else.

Envy stopped and Wrath turned to look at the building. There was no door and it had an abandoned feel to it. The windows were smashed and cracks meandered across the walls. Envy laughed softly as he surveyed the remaining half of what had once been a sign.

"Even Greed paid the price in the end," he said as went through the empty door frame. Wrath followed and looked around the ruined interior. Bullet holes decorated the walls, blood stains painted lurid splotches on the floors and walls. Dust and dirt coated the broken furniture. There was nothing whole left. What was salvageable had been taken by scavengers a long time ago and only rubbish remained.

"Why do you want the stones?" Wrath asked as they picked their way deeper into the building.

"To live," Envy replied as he narrowed his eyes and backtracked to the door he had just passed.

"We're alive, aren't we?"

"But it's not _life_, Wrath. Not really. We're mistakes, we've come from someone else's stupid mistake. We're not supposed to _be_, and because of that no-one wants us. We're walking reminders of those stupid mistakes. It's an existence, it's not life."

"How will the stones make you any different then?"

"Different?" Envy stopped in front of a large hole in the wall and turned to look at Wrath. "I don't want to be different, Wrath. I want to be me again."

* * *

Al found it interesting to learn a new language. German tied his tongue in knots at times but once he got the accent and the rhythm, the words began to flow and he started to enjoy it. He found out that Alfons had been born in Germany and had been sent to England in the aftermath of the Great War for safety as revolution and revolt had toppled the then Emperor in favour for the Weimar government in place now.

Alfons was pleased to be back in his homeland. So many years away had given it a luster that only distance could bestow, and he was eager to share it all with Al. The boys would go out on weekends and Alfons would drag Al through museums and old streets. Several times they would take the train on Friday night and return late Sunday, tired but glowing from all they had seen.

Rudolf von Sebottendorff, the man who had invited Hohenheim to Germany and sweetened his invitation with the offer of a house and several research opportunities in exchange for his esoteric knowledge, also organized for Alfons to have access to the University facilities. Al would go with him and everyone thought them brothers. They became known as 'Hohenheim's boys'.

Alfons would see a shadow cross Al's face when Alfons was referred to as his brother. Al never said anything and he would always smile but the light in his eyes would dim slightly. Alfons knew how much Al missed his real brother. He too had heard the muffled crying in the night. And much as he tried, he knew he would never take Edward's place. All he could do was offer him a pale shadow and be the best proxy-brother he could be.

Rockets became a distraction for Al. Alfons taught him German through physics and aerodynamics. The books were all in German and Al would spend a whole evening just trying to translate two pages. Formulae were easy. The characters and symbols transcended language. It was the pages of theory between them that slowed him down.

Hohenheim kept his worries to himself. Von Sebottendorff seemed a genuine man with theories and ideas he wanted to develop in the field of the arcane and the occult. With Hohenheim's help. It was some of the people who worked with him that worried Hohenheim. They seemed to have a different agenda and although he never saw anything untoward or suspicious, he just could not shake the feeling of something being wrong.

They had been there nearly two months when Hohenheim looked up to see Alfons half-carry Al into the room.

"Al!" He looked from one to the other. Alfons looked worried but unharmed. But Al was shaking and as pale as a ghost. "What happened?"

"I don't know Professor. We were just coming back from the Library when he suddenly stopped and collapsed. I thought he had fainted but he hadn't." Alfons explained.

Al took a shaky step forward and fell into his father's arms. Hohenheim stiffened and paused before he placed his arms around the distraught teen. Al tightened his grip and hung on tighter and Hohenheim relaxed and held Al. After all these years he thought, I can be a father again.

"I saw him," Al said in a disbelieving voice. "I saw him. He's dead and I saw him!" His voice began to rise and he felt his heart tripping into the fast beat that had made him dizzy earlier. "I saw him!" His mind was frozen on that one image.

"Saw who?" Hohenheim asked, trying to remain calm as he felt his own heart begin to race. Who had Al seen to send him off-balance like this?

"I saw him!" Al repeated again. "Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes!"

* * *

Edward stretched carefully and yawned. He eyed the distance from the couch to the floor and wondered whether he could manage it without too much pain. He looked at Mustang. He was reading the paper and Hawkeye was stirring something on the stove. Edward sniffed and could detect meat and vegetables. Some kind of stew, casserole he thought. Hayate was curled up by the kitchen and watched Hawkeye's every movement with his eyes.

Stupid mutt, Ed thought and looked Mustang. What would he do if Ed started staring at him like that? Ed grinned and shook his head. Mustang would never see it anyway. The man was particularly dense at times Ed thought. He measured the distance again. He could probably get down by himself but he was never going to get back up again without help. And if he got down by himself now, they'd expect him to do it all the time. Not going to happen he thought and turned to Mustang again. He miaowed and stuck his claw into the man's leg…gently.

Mustang jumped and looked at the little cat.

"Is it really necessary for you to do that, little one?" he asked plaintively and received a miaowed "Of course it is, Mustang." He smiled as the cat flicked a single ear at him. He put the paper down and picked up the cat, careful not to grip too tightly around his ribs. He could feel the cat tense and then relax as he kept his grip gentle. He leant over and lowered the cat just as carefully. When he felt the little animal was standing he let go and watched as the cat miaowed at him as if in thanks, and then made its slow way to the laundry.

Edward took his time and had a look around, poking his nose into all the rooms that were open. It smelled clean and faintly tinted with some flowery scent he didn't know. The rooms were as sparsely furnished as the main living area. But there were little trinkets and figurines on the few shelves and bookcases, and flowers were on the dresser in Hawkeye's room. Beside the spare hair and gun clips.

There were only a few pictures. One of the whole crew, one which Ed assumed was of Hawkeye and her parents and one of Mustang, Hughes and Hawkeye. They all looked so young Ed noticed. It must have been taken before Ishbal, they were all smiling. He had never seen Mustang smile like that and when he had found out about Mustang's past he had understood. You never smiled the same again after you had seen Hell. Edward knew that. He had seen it in his own reflection.

He padded carefully back into the main room and found Hawkeye placing the bowls on the table as Mustang levered himself up from the couch slowly. Edward watched as Hawkeye stopped herself from offering to help and moved back to the kitchen for the utensils. Edward waited while Mustang walked to the table. He walked stiffly, keeping his left side as still as possible. He would only use it when he was sitting down Ed had noticed. If Mustang was standing or walking he would hold his left side, especially his arm, immobile.

His nose twitched. Hawkeye was putting food down for him and Hayate and Ed began to walk to where the bowls were. Fish again, he thought. _Why always fish? Why can't I have some of that stew?_ Hawkeye was making Hayate sit and shake for his meal as Ed sauntered slowly past and lowered his head. He settled himself into a position where his ribs didn't protest and began to pick delicately at the fish.

Mustang watched the little cat eat with a smile on his face as he sat at the table. It seemed to be settling in more easily than he was. He looked at stew and then at the fork. Hawkeye sat down opposite him and he could feel the small chill inside. This would be the first time he had eaten with anyone and he was nervous. With a calm expression that hid his fear, he began to eat. He ate slower than usual. It was still strange to see everything at a slightly different angle than it used to be. His changed perception affected everything he had found. So many times he had misjudged when he reached for things or put things back. He thought he would adjust and get used to it, but it just wasn't happening yet.

The little cat seemed to manage, Mustang thought. It only had one eye as well. Why couldn't he? The little thing had obviously been through some hard times. It had automail, it had that large scar across its chest and it had been one mangy looking beast when he had first seen it. Now it was almost a different cat. Golden, soft, full of character for all its current disability and it was surprisingly reassuring to have it close. Mustang wondered if it would stay with him once its ribs healed.

"Is it okay, Roy?" Hawkeye asked and he blinked at her.

"Yes, its fine, Riza," he replied and took another careful mouthful.

"Good. I'll have to go shopping tomorrow. Was there anything in particular you needed?" She asked.

"No. Whatever you normally get will be fine, Riza." I don't want to be a burden he thought, but didn't say.

Ed looked over at them as he cleaned his fur. They were both being very polite to each other. I guess it is a bit awkward he thought. He knew they had known each other for a long time. Hawkeye had been Mustang's shadow for long before he had known them. But now they had to share this space and both Ed and Hawkeye knew how proud Mustang could be. To have to rely on anyone was not going to be easy for him. Even if it was Hawkeye. And Hawkeye was probably more of a private person than Mustang was. To suddenly have her space invaded by two invalids would not make her comfortable.

It would probably take them a few days to get used to each other. Ed began to walk towards the table. Mustang looked like he wouldn't be able to eat all of that stew and Edward was still feeling slightly hungry.

* * *

It took Al a while to calm down and be able to think and then speak with any coherency.

"I saw him, Dad." Al said. "How is that possible?"

"Alfons is your double, Al. Surely you realised that there might be others here?"

Al shook his head. "No, I hadn't thought of that. I thought Alfons and me being alike was a freak occurrence. I didn't think there could be others." He paused and then his eyes went wide. "Will I see Brother too?"

"I don't know, Al." Hohenheim shook his head. "I don't know how the Gate links our worlds. The Gate could lead to other places as well." He looked at his son. "Al, I have never seen doubles of people I knew, except you. This may not happen again, but you have to remember that they are not the people you knew."

"But it's exactly like him," Al said, his mind still filled with that face he had seen and the way the tall man had walked along the pavement.

"I know. We spoke of the way energy transfers between here and Amestris, Al. It is feasible that there is an exchange in the opposite direction that could bring about these likenesses."

"Amestris? Other worlds?" Al and Hohenheim had forgotten Alfons was standing there and they exchanged dismayed looks before they turned to the stunned young man.

"Perhaps you should sit down, Alfons," Hohenheim said.

* * *

Envy systematically searched the ruins of The Devil's Nest after his initial haphazard approach had not found anything. He had known Greed a long time ago and used that knowledge to find secret places the scavengers had missed. Most of what he found was useless to him and he left it behind. But the money he took and finally, after spending hours kicking in walls and removing fixtures from the walls, he found what he had been looking for.

A mere handful, barely a half dozen small red stones. His hazel eyes gleamed and he actually felt himself tremble as he held them. With the Elrics and the old woman gone and even _him_ as well no longer here, there was no-one capable of creating a true stone anymore. His chance at humanity was also gone. He was stuck in this shape and missed his old abilities. These stones were his hope that he could regain what he had lost.

"Aren't you going to eat them?" Wrath asked as he watched Envy stare at them.

"Well, I don't intend to share them with you," Envy snapped and lifted his hand to shove them into his mouth. He bit down and felt the shimmer through his mind as the power was released and surged through him. Lines grew thick along his arm and he watched it circle on the back of his hand. He pulled off his shirt and he saw similar lines run down his chest. He laughed. Yes, this is what he wanted. To get rid of everything that damned pipsqueak had done to him.

He stopped laughing when the lines began to disappear, sinking into his skin and leaving his flesh unmarked. He tried to change shape and felt a wave of pain go through him. It burnt from his head to his toes and left him shaking.

He sat down abruptly and waited for the pain to subside. Wrath was looking as puzzled as he was feeling. When the pain stopped, Envy tried again. The pain was so intense this time, he keeled over.

* * *

Roy Mustang waited five minutes after the door closed behind Hawkeye before he let out his breath and relaxed back with a relieved sigh. He had been afraid she would come back with yet another reassurance or instruction. She was only going to be gone for a few hours and he wasn't that incapable of taking care of himself.

She had been waiting when he had woken up this morning with breakfast and coffee. She had knocked on the bathroom door twice to make sure he was okay when he had his shower. Roy had nearly lost his temper when she had not let him get his own coffee. But now she was gone to the office and then the shops and he was free from her attention.

He did appreciate all she was doing for him, he just wished she would settle down and not feel obligated to care for him so much. He didn't feel as if he could relax because she was always watching.

He looked around him. She had put a small table beside him with several books on it and a covered plate of sandwiches. He had refused the coffee because as soon as she left that was what he was going to do himself. He smiled and eased himself to his feet. It felt good to be on his own again.

The hospital had been boring but at least they hadn't been watching him every waking minute. He walked carefully to the kitchen and began to make coffee. Maybe he should go and have another shower. One where he wasn't worried about taking too long and no-one was going to bang on the door. He was almost looking forward to the paperwork Hawkeye would be bringing back with her. As long as she would let him do it on his own. Maybe he should get Havoc to pick up some of his old alchemy books. He could lose himself in them now he had the time.

He groaned. He had more than enough time now. A small miaow made him look to see the little cat staring at him and he realised the kettle was boiling. He knew Hawkeye would never leave him alone if he boiled the kettle dry.

"I got it, little one. Thanks."

The cat blinked and miaowed at him again before rolling over very slowly to stretch carefully across its half of the couch. Roy smiled. The little beast had gotten him in trouble last night. Hawkeye had seen him slip morsels of meat from the stew into the waiting mouth beside his chair. She had frowned at him and told him not to encourage the cat and then she had stood up and picked up the animal and put it on the couch. The cat had not been happy and had complained with a disgusted howl. It had taken Roy half an hour of continual rib scratching and petting before he could get the cat to purr again.

He walked carefully back to the couch with his coffee and placed it on the table before he sat down. He looked at the books she had left him and nodded. Definitely need my alchemy books he thought, as he scanned the titles and found most of them related to warfare and weaponry. He looked at the cat who had rolled back but remained stretched out. Hawkeye had suggested taking him to the vet at the end of the week to get his ribs and his general wellbeing checked. Roy had agreed as long as he went too. He did not want to stay in his temporary home all the time.

Roy looked around the room again. "What do I do now?"

The cat miaowed at him and the single eye blinked.

"I mean it little one. I don't know what to do now."

* * *

Envy was angry. Every time he tried to change, the pain increased and it took longer to pass. He could feel the stones within him. He could feel the weight of them just behind his tattoo. He had stripped completely and found no trace of the lines and links that should have been there.

He had demolished several walls in his anger. It was all the fault of that little pipsqueak alchemist, that little shit of a half-brother. If he hadn't already killed him, he'd go and hunt him down to do it again.

"Wrath!" Envy shouted. The younger Sin had run and hidden as soon as Envy had recovered enough to swear and scream as he took his fury out on the room.

"Get in here now, Wrath!" Envy shouted again. It was a few moments before frightened violet eyes and dark hair appeared in the shattered door frame.

"We're leaving," Envy said firmly.

"Where to?" Wrath asked hesitantly.

"The old woman's place in the woods. There may be more stones there."

"But Envy, why would you want more of them?"

"Because I do. I will find a way to change back." Envy looked at him and frowned. "Your hair has come loose. Braid it again."

* * *

It took nearly four days before Hohenheim and Al could get Alfons to admit to the theoretical possibility of other worlds or dimensions. It took another two days before he would even admit that maybe Al and the Professor had come from one of them. It took them two minutes to convince him to say nothing. He had had so much trouble believing it, he didn't think anyone else would. Besides he wasn't sure he really believed them even now.

He did notice that Al was not as reticent about his past as he had been and he often heard the Professor and Al talking about something that almost sounded like science. He did ask about it but the Professor merely shook his head and said it was a related branch but one that had fallen into disuse many years ago. It was a matter of purely academic interest as there were no practical applications possible any more.

As his research deepened and they began to build their new prototype, Al's origins became something he rarely thought about and it only came to mind when Al evinced ignorance of anything Alfons had always taken for granted.

Two weeks passed and Al had seen the man who looked like Hughes twice more. He had struggled very hard to remain calm and not approach him to see just how similar he was. Now that Alfons knew where he came from, Al had found that he didn't have to think twice before speaking anymore. He often found himself mentioning Edward's name and dad and he would discuss alchemy.

Hohenheim discovered how profound Al's alchemical knowledge had become during his years in the armour and had him working through several arrays and theories. He felt a bit guilty at using his son this way. Von Sebottendorff had some interesting ideas and with Al's help, Hohenheim could solve most of them. But he was not going to let them know about Al and his knowledge. He would keep him as safe and hidden as he could.

"Hey Dad!" Al called as he ran into the house one day.

"Yes?" Hohenheim put his pen down and rubbed his eyes. He had been working hard all day and he could do with a break.

"There's a fair setting up on the common ground. Alfons says they have a fireworks show as well. We're going so we can talk to them about their fuses and powder mixtures. We won't be back 'til late. Ok?"

Hohenheim looked at the shining eyes of his youngest son and smiled. It was easy to forget he thought, that Al was only fifteen. He knew so much, he had been through so much and yet he retained an innocence and an enthusiasm that sometimes made him look younger still.

Hohenheim nodded. "Okay." And Al smiled happily.

"Thanks Dad."

Hohenheim smiled as he heard the front door slam. He knew they would return late, tired and dirty and wanting to tell him everything they had discovered and how they could incorporate it into their designs.

It was a fair. Just a fair.

He looked at his notes and sighed. The chill that seemed to have taken up permanent residence at the back of his mind twitched but he put that down to the fact that he had changed the angles slightly. He didn't think anyone in the Thule-Gesellschaft would realise what he was doing. Not even Von Sebottendorff.

* * *

By the time the end of the week came, Roy Mustang was suffering cabin-fever. He had to get out of Riza's apartment. The walls were closing in on him. He could move better and he was beginning to use his left arm again. He had light weights to use and he would sit on the couch and use them as he read. He was very grateful to have his alchemy books. Without them he would have been completely bored.

Riza brought files home every afternoon and Roy knew they were humouring him. They saw him as an invalid, they were dealing with him as if he had a major problem and he was starting to resent it. There was nothing difficult in those files, they were thin and merely contained forms for him to sign. There was nothing to solve, nothing to think about. He asked Riza to bring him more of the files but she shook her head and said there were no other files to bring. He wasn't sure if she was telling him the truth or not.

Military Command was still trying to retain some autonomy from the newly formed Parliament but the higher echelons were engaging in a thinly veiled war of words as they jockeyed for the best positions. Havoc called around every evening and brought what news he could scrounge from the few contacts he had. People were doing a lot of ass-covering he said, and it was hard to get them to talk freely.

Roy would sit there and feel the resentment bite a bit deeper. He could have been there, he could have been right in the middle of it, but he was stuck here. Being forgotten and being reduced to nothing but a signature on useless forms.

About the only good thing that happened was that it had become easier between him and Riza. She didn't watch him every minute anymore and that pleased him greatly. She let him do things on his own, like help with dinner or make coffee.

Roy looked at the little cat beside him. He was getting better too. He was moving easier and could get off the couch by himself now. Roy almost missed the way the cat had always requested to be put down. Almost. Because the little beast still needed help to get back up on the couch and instead of a claw in his thigh, he now got a claw in his foot. That single eye would stare at him and he would almost swear that the cat was smirking at him.

He found himself laying the cat across his lap when Havoc came with whatever news he had to share. It calmed him to lightly stroke the soft fur and helped keep the resentment from escaping. Often he would find the cat watching him and it would shift slightly if he became too tense. The little thing seemed to read his moods easily and knew just when to bring him back to himself.

Roy looked at the clock. Hawkeye should be here soon and he was finally going to get out of here, even if it was just for a little while. They would take the cat to the vet and then later go to the markets. He ran his hand over the cat and it flicked its tail.

"Time to wake up, little one. Riza will be here shortly."

The cat opened its eye and hissed at him. "Like I care, Mustang."

"It will be good to get out of here," Roy said as he looked at the walls again and the cat rolled and began to stretch. He smiled at it and reached to hold the tip of the golden tail in his fingers. He missed the first time and frowned and tried again, allowing for his changed vision. This time he managed to grab it.

Ed twitched his tail and wondered why it felt wrong. He turned to look and saw Mustang's fingers holding it. He looked up and saw him smiling. Something he hadn't done too much of this week at all. Ed pulled his tail back and Mustang's fingers tightened and kept their grip. Ed tried to turn around but again Mustang didn't let go. Ed tilted his head. What was the man thinking? He miaowed and Mustang's smile widened. He twitched harder and his tail whipped in a skipping arc before Mustang let go and laughed softly.

"Ahh forgive me, little one," he said as he brushed his fingers under the cat's small chin. Ed's head arched and he rubbed against the slow moving fingers. He sighed, "Just this once, Mustang." The cat miaowed at him.

The door opened and both man and cat looked over to see Riza enter with a small carry cage.

"It's for the cat," she said as she walked in and put her bag down. Ed looked at it and growled at her. "No fucking way."

"I can carry him, Riza," Roy said as he saw the cat flatten its ears and growl. He stroked the small head and felt it calm slightly but its eye never left the cage.

"It's dangerous to have him loose in the car, Roy," she said firmly as she approached. The cat inched backwards and began growling low in its throat. Roy placed his hand on the cat as it backed into him.

"We'll wrap him in his blanket and he can sit on my lap. He'll be fine, Riza," Roy replied as he felt the little thing trembling. Ed did not want to go into the cage. He had been caged before, he did not intend to be put into another one. He felt Mustang's hands shift to pick him up, one under his hind legs, the other at his chest. He was nestled against Mustang's chest as the man stood up slowly.

"Roy. Put the cat in the cage, it will be much safer and you won't have to worry about him."

Roy shook his head. "No, Riza. He doesn't want to go in there and I'm not about to force him."

Riza watched as Roy walked to his room to collect the blanket from his bed that the cat always slept on. He was a stubborn man. He was making too much of that cat she thought. She looked at her Hayate and smiled. He was looking at her from his usual spot by her chair. He saw her smile and came over to sniff and lick at her hands. She laughed ruefully. Roy's just a cat person I suppose and I have you. She ruffled the dog's ears and laid her face against its head.

Footsteps had her lifting her head up and watching Roy reappear with the cat haphazardly bundled into his blanket. She wondered why the cat put up with him as she saw one back leg and a tail dangling out of the blanket. She smiled and shook her head slightly. Sometimes she wondered why she put up with him.

* * *

Roy sat in the car and laughed. He held his cat against his chest, feeling it still shaking, and he saw Riza's embarrassed and upset face. But he couldn't stop laughing.

"It is not funny, Roy," Riza said sternly. "I'm never going to be able to take Hayate back there again and I would not be surprised if he asks for compensation for the damages."

"Riza. It wasn't that bad. It could have been a lot worse. And you have to be honest and admit you'd do much the same if someone tried to put a thermometer up your…"

"Roy Mustang!" Riza could feel her face heating as she stopped him from saying any more. She looked at the little cat, half hidden in the blanket. Even from here she could see its whiskers trembling and hear its panted breathing. She had never seen any animal react to a standard vet's visit like this one had.

_The little cat had sat on Roy's knee as they waited. It had stared around at the other animals and then ignored them. Except for the woman on Roy's right side who had a covered bird cage on her knee. Ed had seen the woman give Roy an appraising look and then draw back slightly as she noticed the patch on his face. Roy had seen it too if the sudden tension in his hands had been anything to go by. Riza had watched as the little animal had stretched slightly and draped himself over Roy's lap, bringing himself closer to the bird cage.  
_

_With a surprising delicacy of movement, the cat had reached out with his claws and slit the covering in an almost silent stroke down. He had then waited for a moment before tearing it wider and looking in to see the bird inside. Riza had nudged Roy and they had both watched as the cat had inched closer. The golden head had turned to check on the woman and then he had looked at the bird. A medium sized one with red and blue feathers who had looked back at the cat. A golden paw waved just outside the bars and the bird had moved closer. The cat did it again and the bird came closer still. The cat placed his paw just outside the bird's cage and waited. The bird walked along its perch to the bars and eyed the dangling paw. With a sudden lunge it pushed it's beak through the bars as the cat pulled his paw back.  
_

_The woman looked down at the sudden movement and saw her bird with its head stuck between the bars of its own cage and watched as a small golden cat reached out a paw and patted it on the head before settling back onto the lap of the one-eyed man beside her. It had purred rather smugly and the man's hand had stroked it lightly. She had met his bland expression and had known there was nothing she could say. They had been called in very soon afterwards and she had had to call the assistant to help her get her pet freed from its predicament.  
_

_Ed had felt rather pleased with himself as he was placed on the examination table and waited as the vet undid the strapping around his ribs. The stupid bird had been an easy mark and it may have been a petty thing to do but Ed had not been able to resist the urge to do something when he had felt the tension in Mustang. He arched slightly as the vet poked his ribs.  
_

_"Cats are remarkable survivors," he told Roy as he lifted up the automail paw, looked at the closed eye and examined the large scar slowly being covered by re-growing fur. "It's amazing how highly developed their instincts are and this one has certainly managed to survive very successfully indeed."  
_

_Ed had tuned the voice out and stared around the room as Mustang absently scratched the top of his head when he felt the vet lift his tail up. More than just instincts kicked in as he had felt an unwelcome pressure and he had spun around fast, pulling his tail from the vet's hand and sinking his teeth into the hand that was holding the offensive object as his automail claws had come out and he had driven them straight into the vet's wrist to hold his hand in place as he bit it again._

_He had struck too fast for anyone to stop him and the vet had yelled in surprise and pain as the cat had gripped tighter. Mustang had managed to stifle his laugh and managed to grab the cat and hold it carefully as Riza had hurried around and tried to pull the claws out.  
_

_"L__et go, little one." Mustang had said as he pulled back slightly and the cat hissed around the flesh held in its mouth. "Come on. It won't happen again. Let go now." With a 'pft' noise the small cat had withdrawn his teeth and then retracted his claws. He had hissed at the vet. Damn that had been stupid he had thought, as it now hurt to breathe. But there was no way they were going to stick anything in him there, that was for sure. He twisted slightly. He didn't think he'd done too much damage to his already damaged ribs but it was going to hurt for a few hours until the ache settled down._

_Things had only gotten worse when the vet had tried to vaccinate him. _

_He had felt his blanket being placed around him and he had begun to shake slightly as Roy tucked him into it, better than last time. He was never going to go back there. He had heard Hawkeye placating the vet and had miaowed as piteously__as he could. "Don't do that, Hawkeye. Just shoot him and let's go home."_

* * *

Ed curled up as much as he could and tried to keep his breathing even but it was hard as his ribs ached. At least they were healing like they should and as long as he didn't do anything stupid it wouldn't be long before they were completely healed. Anything stupid like attack the vet. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't known how animals had their temperatures taken. And if they came that close to him with a needle again, there would be more than just minor lacerations and broken equipment to fix.

It had cheered Mustang up he thought. The man hadn't stopped smiling for the rest of the afternoon. And he had been almost lively as he had regaled Havoc with the story later that evening. Riza had finally started to smile about the whole incident and begun to see the funny side of the whole event.

Ed stretched and rolled over. He sighed. It was the middle of the night and he couldn't sleep. His ribs ached and his thoughts kept twisting around. There had been no sightings of Al in the south but Havoc was expecting Armstrong to phone in tomorrow with his report and had promised to visit to let them know.

He was going to have to find a way to communicate with Mustang and the others. It had been too easy to stay in here he realised. To grab all the guilt and blame and not do anything about it. To wallow in all the self-pity and feel sorry for himself, but he had to stop doing that. He might be a cat now, but he had to find a way to make it work _for_ him rather than use it as a shield to hide behind. First thing was to make them aware he was in here. It shouldn't be too hard. And it should still be possible to do alchemy in this form. That would be the quickest way to convince them.

He looked over at the sleeping man. He had taken the patch off and the skin was raw where the patch had been rubbing. He didn't take it off often enough. He never left the room without it on. It was the first thing he reached for when he woke up and the last thing he did before going to bed. He had refused all of Hawkeye's offers to help and took care of his own wounds. Ed would lie on the bed and watch him apply the creams before replacing the bandages on his shoulder and the patch over his eye.

Mustang was hiding like he had been hiding, but now Ed wanted to start fixing things. And if he had to drag Mustang along with him, then he would do that too. Once Mustang knew he was in here it shouldn't be hard at all.

Ed looked at his paws. One metal, the other flesh. Cats didn't clap he thought and he lay down and placed his front paws together. A simple array rose in his mind, one of the first he had ever learnt and he placed his paws on the bed.

Searing pain shot straight through him and he collapsed, his consciousness snuffed out in an instant.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and comments for this story. I am glad to know you are enjoying this as much as I am.

Thule-Gesellschaft is the German for Thule Society.

Rudolf Von Sebottendorff was the founder of the Thule society, in 1919, originally for his research into the occult. Later, he was said to have had a political agenda as well.

silken :)


	7. Complications

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**7: Complications**

Envy cursed again. Dante's mansion had yielded no red stones at all. The old bitch had either used the stones to attach herself to her new body or she had taken them with her to the old place under Central. And he was not going to go there. Not now. Not after what had happened as he had walked into the large room and Wrath had set off the array. And that array was still resonating. He could feel it through the door. He had barely made it from the room without disgorging the stones within him.

He didn't know what Wrath had done and when he found out, he was going to do something painful and permanent to the younger Sin. It had not been pleasant at all. He had only just entered the room to see Wrath there, walking towards the staircase when the array had flared around the younger Sin as he sunk into the floor. Envy had been struck by a sense of being watched and then had doubled over as he gagged and felt his tattoo burn. He had had to crawl from the room and then he could only huddle against the wall, shaking and trying hard to keep down the bile and stones that churned inside him.

Wrath had panicked but Envy had paid scant attention to the high pitched screams as he struggled to regain control of himself. It was half an hour before he could begin to start thinking coherently and was able to stagger to his feet. He couldn't go back into the room. It had been hard to even look in at first, but finally he had managed it and seen that Wrath had extricated himself from the floor and was sitting on the lowest steps of wide staircase. Envy had shouted enough threats to get Wrath to search the room while he had gone to look elsewhere.

He rubbed his thigh. The tattoo was itching. What the hell should he do now? The old place was out because of the array there. That was one array he did not want Wrath to activate, not while he was any where near it. How had the idiot done it anyway? Envy frowned. Wrath combined with things, he had combined with the floor that the array was drawn on. But what had caused him to do that in the first place? He had seen Wrath's alchemy and it was very haphazard, there was no thought to it. There was no pattern to it at all. Emotions sometimes triggered it but not always.

He looked at the door again. What I want he thought, is an alchemist.

* * *

Hohenheim looked up when he heard the front door open and close. He looked at the clock and was surprised. The boys were back early. Obviously the fair had not been as interesting or as informative as they had hoped. He shook his head with a slight smile and returned to his own calculations.

It was an hour later before he ventured out in search of coffee and upon entering the kitchen he found three people seated there. He blinked and a thin eyebrow rose as he looked from his son and Alfons to the young woman who sat opposite them.

"She needs a place to stay, Dad." Al said and his father looked at him. "She can have my room and I can share with Alfons."

Hohenheim appraised the young woman. He recognized the signs. The tenseness and the hesitant manner. It didn't matter what they were called, they all had the same look at the end. The dispossessed, the persecuted. And she was one of them. People who were different because of what they believed in or because they looked different, minorities or those merely ignorant of just how much of a threat such differences were seen to be by others. Persecuted people became disposable people. Hohenheim had learnt that lesson a long time ago.

"It would be most inhospitable of me to not second my son's invitation."

Her dark eyes met his and they stared at each other for a long moment before Hohenheim smiled. Al blinked, for a brief moment he could have sworn his father was trying to charm his new friend. That smile had been as smooth as any he could recall Colonel Mustang using. She smiled hesitantly back at him and they all saw the tenseness in her shoulders ease.

"Thank you Sir. I realise that my being here is rather an imposition and I appreciate your generousity. My name is Noa." She said quietly as she stood up with the grace of her people. He almost nodded as his observation was confirmed. Gypsy.

He approached and held his hand out. "And I am Hohenheim."

She accepted his hand and they both froze. Noa's eyes went wide and she stared at him as the colour drained from her face. A choking sound came from her mouth as she tried to speak or scream and then she simply folded and slipped down in a dead faint.

* * *

Roy woke up slowly and stretched carefully. His left shoulder ached and he felt the stitches pulling. Another two days and they would be removing them and the ones from his eye as well. He hated his scars. They were red and ugly. He had never had scars like these before. Not with nothing to show for them. The reaction of the woman at the vet hadn't surprised him but it had still hurt for all he had expected it. It was hard to find anything appealing in a face with a large eye patch covering nearly half of it. It was a sign that said there were ugly things behind it. If she had seen the even uglier mess that snaked down his upper chest, she would have done more than draw back.

Roy sighed, reaching for his patch on the bedside table carefully with his left hand as he poked the cat with the other.

"Time to wake up, little one." He said and began to sit up to put his patch on. How strange. The little cat hadn't made its usual objection to Roy's poke. Usually it would hiss at him or roll over and ignore him until it was time to leave the room. Roy looked at the animal and felt his breath catch.

The cat was lying very still and there was blood on its blanket. Roy tossed the covers aside and knelt on the bed over the cat. It was breathing slowly, very slowly and it didn't respond to his touch. It wasn't asleep, it was unconscious. He looked at the blood. It had pooled beneath the cat's head and the fur on its face was matted with trails where the blood had spread, and he slid off the bed and went to the bathroom as fast as he could. He ignored his aching shoulder as he hurried and grabbed the first cloth he found and ran it under the tap.

As he was going back into his room, Riza appeared and looked rather taken aback at seeing him disheveled and slightly pale. She followed him into his room.

"What's going on, Roy?"

"I don't know, Riza, but something has happened to my cat." He said as he sat down and carefully lifted the little body into his lap. He began to clean the caked blood from the cat and trying to see what had caused it. Riza came over and helped him ease the blanket away from the cat where the blood had stuck to fur and wool alike. A few moments later Roy had managed to remove most of the blood and they both saw a single drop well up from under the closed eyelid of the cat's right eye.

When the vet had examined the cat, before he had temporarily lost the use of his hands, he had told them that there appeared to be no apparent injury around the eye to cause it to remain closed. The vet had not been able to move the eyelid and they had assumed it had been sewn shut at some point in the cat's past. Possibly at the same time as it had lost his front leg.

"It's coming from that eye but why?" Roy asked puzzled as he brushed the cloth around the eye and avoided touching the actual eyelid. "The vet barely touched it yesterday."

Roy gently dabbed at the single drop with the cloth and the cat spasmed. It made a pained whimpering noise and drew breath in with a shuddering groan. Roy felt it twitch and then sink into his lap. He gently touched a golden ear and there was a small pause before it flicked in reaction. He let his breath out silently. The little thing had come out of its unconsciousness and slipped into a deep sleep. He listened and could hear it breathing more normally now. He silently sighed and ran his hand along the side of the small face. The relief he felt surprised him. He hadn't realised how much he had come to depend on it being beside him.

Riza looked at him as he cared for the cat. It was obvious that he had barely woken up before he had discovered the cat's condition. His hair was spiked in all directions and he still wore his sleep pants with his shirt undone. She could see the corner of the bandages showing. She hadn't realised how far down his chest it went. His eye patch was crooked and she could see part of the stitching that ran around his eye. She swallowed, afraid he would mistake her sympathy for pity and looked away quickly to his hands. No wonder he didn't let anyone see it she thought. Roy had always prided himself on his looks. Not to the point of arrogance but he had definitely been aware of and had used his looks with an easy charm to get what he wanted. Usually with women, but it hadn't hurt him in his military career either. A handsome face with self-confidence had gone a long way to keeping his activities well hidden.

She didn't see the pained expression that crossed his face as he caught the look on her face as she focused on his hands. When the loud banging came from the door he didn't look up until she had left the room. He told himself that it had not been pity he had seen in that brief glimpse of her face. He knew that Riza of all people would not feel that for him, but he couldn't make himself believe it. He straightened his eye patch and he kept the cloth moving gently over the golden fur as he felt a small part of him die inside.

"Come on little one. You can't leave me now."

Hawkeye came bustling into his room with a rather wild-eyed Havoc in tow and Roy looked at them both.

"Al has been seen." Havoc wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Where?"

"Dublith." Havoc paused and swallowed. "And Boss, Ed was with him."

* * *

Noa woke up in a strange room and she sat up quickly. Someone had placed a blanket over her and as she looked around the book filled room the door opened and the one called Hohenheim entered. He put the tray he was carrying on the small table beside the bed and then sat on the only chair in the room. She noticed that he kept his distance and did nothing to threaten her.

"You have a gift." He said easily and she blinked at him.

"How did you know that?" She asked as she pulled the blanket around her. She could still see the images in her mind.

"You saw what was in my mind and then you collapsed."

"All those people…" She said and trembled so hard she had to clench her hands together. She tried to find something to keep her mind from going through all those images. "How do you know what I did?"

"I've been around for a long time, Noa. There's not much that I haven't seen or read about." He said quietly.

"I don't want people to know." She said defensively and looked away from him.

"Because they will want to use your gift and you."

She looked down at her hands, keeping her face averted and he nodded in recognition. He wondered just how much trouble she was going to bring them and felt himself shiver. Goosebumps lifted the hairs on the back of his neck.

"They've already tried." He said suddenly and she looked at him with terrified eyes. He met her gaze steadily. "Are they looking for you now?"

"I don't know. I…I never let them see the full extent of what I could do."

Noa looked at the older man. His faded gold hair pulled back in a long tail matched his faded gold eyes. There was a tiredness about him as if he had indeed seen too many things for too many years. The pain she had felt from him as she had held his hand had been intense. She didn't know how he had managed to stay sane under the burdens and hurt he seemed to carry and that he kept hidden beneath that absent-minded expression.

"You don't have to tell me either." He said with a small smile. "I'm not going to ask you to leave, Noa. You've done nothing wrong, although I would ask that you not share any of what you saw with the boys, especially Al. He has been through enough already, I want to keep him as safe as I can."

"I won't. I don't want to think of it ever again either."

"Neither do I, neither do I." He remarked with a rueful smile and she found herself smiling back.

* * *

"Impossible." Hawkeye said again. It was the third time she had said it.

"That's what the eyewitness said, Riza." Havoc replied again.

Roy looked from one to the other. They had moved from his bedroom to the lounge and he was sitting down with the cat in his lap. He had stripped off his shirt and wrapped it around the cat before pulling a t-shirt on. The cat had nestled into it without waking. The bloodied blanket had been put out to soak and Roy kept his hand on the little animal for reassurance as it slept.

"Edward does not have black hair, Jean." Riza argued.

"And Al's supposed to be dead!" Jean retorted without thinking and then stopped short. Even Riza blinked at that.

"Why don't you make coffee, Riza, and we can all sit and discuss this…civilly." Roy said firmly, even as his own thoughts were spinning in all directions at once. He looked at the small cat and gently ran his fingers around the soft ears. They twitched but the reaction was still delayed and had none of the flickering quickness he had become so familiar with. The bleeding had stopped and Roy's continual wiping had cleared all the blood from its fur.

Riza came back with the coffee and Jean pulled the small table out so she could place the cups down. Riza sat in her usual chair, Hayate at her feet and Havoc sat opposite her. He held up the single page he had brought with him.

"Armstrong says the witness is positive it was Al and there was another teenager with him. He says the man didn't get a close look at the other one but when Armstrong drew Ed, he said that was who he saw." Havoc repeated the main points. "His hair was black and it was braided and his coat was dark brown but that's about the only difference."

"Did he see the eyes? How do we know this is Ed?" Riza asked.

"No, he didn't see the kid's eyes, but who else would be with Al, Riza?" Jean replied.

"I don't know Jean, but we still don't know if it's Al or not. As you said, Al is dead, so who is in Dublith?"

"Isn't it a bit too much to have doubles of both Al _and_ Ed suddenly appear?" Jean argued. "There's no coincidence here. I think that really is Ed and Al."

"Then why are they down there and not here? And how has Al returned from being dead? Are you saying he wasn't dead, but merely deeply comatose?" Riza frowned.

"Edward would have a very good reason for not coming back here if that is him." Roy stated firmly. He looked from one to the other as he stroked the small cat. "Edward has disguised himself before, so his suddenly appearing with black hair doesn't worry me. But why he has not come forward does. If, and I repeat _if _that is Al, can you imagine what sort of furor there would be if Al just suddenly reappeared without his armour?"

"They'd be all over them." Jean said.

"People would merely think he had just taken off the armour, Roy." Riza said with a slight frown. "Only we knew about his real circumstances."

"Bradley knew." Roy said quietly as his mind went back to that dreadful night. "Something he said makes me think he knew exactly what Edward and Alphonse had done. And if he knew…"

"Others could know as well," Riza finished. "They could use it against him and Al."

"Not only that. Given the situation within Command, who wouldn't want to have the renowned Fullmetal Alchemist on their side? Edward has no patience for politics, you both know that. He would not let himself get used that way." Roy paused and he looked carefully at them. "If that is Al, then I really do not want to have that made public."

"And if it's not Al?" Havoc asked.

"Then Edward has gotten himself into something and we need to find out what it is," Roy replied.

* * *

Noa settled into the house slowly. The three males found it difficult at first to have a female in the house. Or rather the two younger ones did. Hohenheim merely smiled and watched as first Alfons and then Al succumbed to mild crushes on their new house mate.

They tried to teach her about rockets and physics but she had no interest in such things and would laugh at their enthusiasm. She taught Al to dance and began teaching him the Romany language. Al found his crush fading and he began to see her as an older sister.

He missed his brother and he was trying to fill the gaps as much as he could by building a family here. Alchemy theory with his dad, rockets and physics with Alfons and now dancing with Noa. It never seemed to fill the hole completely. At the end of each day, no matter how tired he was, he would always wish that the breathing he could hear from the other bed was Edward's.

Hohenheim kept a watch but no-one seemed interested in the sudden appearance of Noa into his household. And he kept working at the arrays. He was going to find a way to make it work. He was going to find a way to send Al back.

* * *

Edward heard voices from a long way away and he tried to bring them into focus. His head hurt and there was an ache behind his right eye. He was wrapped in warmth and he nestled into it. His thoughts were fuzzy and he found memory returning slowly. He had tried to do alchemy and it had rebounded straight through him. He shivered as he recalled the agony that had been equal to the pain of automail surgery. He felt the warmth around him shift and a hand lightly settled over him.

Mustang had him. He recognized the feel of the man's touch and let himself relax for the moment. When his head didn't hurt so much he would try a different way to let them know he was in here. Alchemy was out. He wondered why it had rebounded. Up to the moment he had placed his paws on the blanket everything had felt as it should have, as it always had. There had been nothing to intimate that it was not going to work. Nothing until the moment it hadn't worked.

There had to be another way. Scratching his name in Hawkeye's floor might have to be his next attempt. He didn't think Mustang would appreciate it if Ed started carving his name into his leg. He'd have to hope that it would be enough to convince them. He really did not want to have to try the alchemy again. But Mustang and Hawkeye were intelligent. They'd believe him, eventually. He didn't expect they'd believe it straight away but if he could scratch enough answers out, they'd have to believe. And then, then he could start trying to figure out how to fix things.

He was fairly certain that they would have more trouble believing Al's new homunculi state than they would over his own changed form. He didn't even know how he was going to start to explain that one.

His ears twitched as he felt Mustang brush his fingers over them.

"Waking up at last, little one?" The voice was low and he was grateful for that. Loud noises would probably make his head fall off. He grumbled slightly before reluctantly opening his eye. He had to blink a few times before he could focus properly.

The light was bright and he buried his head into the shirt he was wrapped in. He sniffed. It was Mustang's shirt, his scent was all over it. Edward lifted his head slightly and looked at it. Why was he wrapped in a shirt? Where was his blanket? He could understand them wrapping him in his blanket, but not a shirt. He looked closer. This was the one Mustang always slept in. The buttoned one that he wore half undone so he could get to the bandages on his chest and shoulder easily.

Ed mentally shrugged. Mustang had probably just grabbed the first thing he could when he had seen him unconscious. He was rather securely bundled into the shirt, moreso than he had been in the blanket yesterday. He stretched tentatively and the hand at his back shifted to brush across his head. He twisted slowly until he was able to gain some loosening in the shirt's tightness and then he curled back up into Mustang's lap. He looked up to see the concerned look on Mustang's face.

"Is he okay, Roy?" Hawkeye asked as she came over with a plate and more coffee. The only time he had not objected to her doing things for him she thought, was because he had been too worried about his cat to want to move and possibly disturb it.

"I think so." He replied without looking at her. His finger brushed lightly across the small pointed face and he watched the little nose scrunch up. The cat hissed and tried to move its head back as his fingers slid around the closed right eye. "It's tender but its not swollen or anything."

Edward listened and frowned. His head really ached and when Mustang had come close to his closed eye he had felt a strange pressure begin to build behind his eye. It had stopped and faded as his fingers had moved away. But it sounded like he had done something more than just pass out.

"When's Havoc due back?" Roy asked as he moved his fingers and brushed them along the underside of the small furry chin. The little golden head stretched out and a soft purr began and the single eye closed. Roy smiled and kept his fingers slowly moving. Edward relaxed into Mustang's touch. His headache was throbbing behind his eye and the rhythmic movements began to make him drowsy.

"Another couple of hours." Riza replied as she watched. "He said he'd wait before returning so as not to alert anyone of what's going on."

"Are you finally going to tell me, Hawkeye?" Roy asked. Riza Hawkeye blinked and stared at him. He appeared completely engrossed in stroking the little cat into a state of bliss but the look in his dark eye was very sharp as he lifted his head.

"I lost my eye, I didn't lose my mind, Hawkeye." He said before he looked back down at the cat. "It wasn't obvious at first, but after only seeing you and Havoc for the last week and those excuses for files you keep giving me, I figured there was something going on that you are not telling me about. Havoc shouldn't need to be that careful. Why have the others not come to visit?"

Riza stayed silent for a moment and suddenly noticed that not only was Roy looking at her expectantly but the little cat had opened its eye and was watching as well. She took a deep breath.

"Military Command is wary of you and of us. They don't feel we can be trusted and they're not sure about you. Nothing has been said openly but everyone knows you were at the Fuhrer's mansion that night and that it burned down." She paused. "I told the others not to visit. Some of the Generals are getting paranoid and all of us here, even just for a visit, could be construed as something to be watched. The longer you stay away, the less suspicious they are of you."

"And you didn't think to share any of this with me?" He asked. He kept his voice even and concentrated on keeping his fingers moving in the same rhythmic motion. He didn't let the small tendrils of disappointment that were curling in his stomach appear in his voice or on his face. They shouldn't have kept this from him. He wasn't useless, he didn't need this sort of looking after.

"Roy, if they find out, you are going to find yourself up on charges of treason and in front of a firing squad." Riza said bluntly. "We can't let that happen."

"Did you think I was unaware of that, Riza?" He looked at her. "I am fully aware of the ramifications of what I did. I'm also very aware that people I trusted were keeping things from me."

"Your safety…"

"My safety is _my_ concern too. What was going to happen when I returned to the office in a week's time or were you going to find a reason for me not to appear?" He asked and he couldn't quite hide the bitter edge to his words.

She winced slightly but looked steadily at him. "We hadn't decided that yet, Roy. We were… we are watching to see what happens and we were going to decide what to do later this week."

"There is no decision to make. I will be going back." He spoke firmly and the little cat miaowed as if in agreement. "What we need to do is to take away some of the mistrust."

"How would you do that? It's all based on rumour and hearsay. There's no way to counteract them, Roy."

"Yes Riza, there is." He looked at her. "Start a new one."

"What?" She blinked.

"Fight a rumour with a rumour. Exactly what is the story regarding me?"

"That you were there, both the Fuhrer and his son died and that you were badly wounded and the mansion burnt down."

"And Archer?"

She frowned. "He's never mentioned."

"Why not? He was there. He shot me. He was unstable after Liore and all that surgery can't have helped his sanity at all. We all saw how fixated on promotion he was. To be refused could have very well sent him over the edge." Roy said in a calm reflective voice and Riza opened her eyes wide before she managed to control her expression.

"You want us to imply that _Archer_…?"

"I may have disagreed with the Fuhrer on certain policies and returned to seek clarification of them, and I may have been too late to actually save anyone, but no-one has ever publicly called my loyalties into question."

"_Roy_." Riza breathed out his name. "Do you know how dangerous this could be?"

"Riza. It's the only path there is. If we don't put something out there, then yes, whether they have proof or not they will come knocking on the door for me. If there is enough doubt and confusion as to who is to blame, then they won't look any closer than they need to at me or at any of you. Besides, it's more convenient to cast blame on a dead madman than it is on an injured survivor."

"They wouldn't be so easily deflected, surely."

"They would. It would be one less thing to worry about and they would be able to turn around and say that the matter is closed and they'd garner some favour from this new Parliament. The longer the Military chases its tail, the easier it will be for Parliament to step in and appoint a puppet Commander. The Generals have to get their act together now or they're going to get swallowed up."

* * *

"He'll see us!" Wrath pulled Envy back with a hoarse whisper.

"Who will?" Envy asked. Wrath was looking pale and Envy frowned. He thought he was the only one who could make Wrath that pale.

"The blue one is there. He'll see us." Wrath repeated and trembled slightly.

"Blue one? You mean a soldier? One of the military?" Envy asked and Wrath nodded frantically and backed away further.

"I agree, we don't want to be caught by them. And for all you look like him, you really don't behave like the Fullmetal pipsqueak." Envy frowned. "We don't want them to see us either. If they do, they'll start following and I do not want to have the military chasing me. And if they don't see us leave, they'll think we're still here."

Envy inched forward and stuck his head around the corner. Just one large blue uniform. The bald headed mean was scanning the crowd, obviously looking for something. His was the only uniform he could see. He moved back to Wrath.

"We need a diversion. Nothing too large to halt the trains, but big enough to distract the uniform."

"How are we going to do that?" Wrath asked.

"You'll have to do it." Envy replied.

"Why me?" Wrath protested.

"Because you can and I can't." Envy rolled his eyes. "Now do you want to do this or run the risk of getting caught by the uniform?"

"What do I do?" Wrath sighed. It really wasn't much of a choice.

Envy grinned at him.

* * *

Edward found it hard to concentrate. The head ache fluctuated and he had difficulty in staying focused on what Mustang and Hawkeye were discussing. By the time for dinner arrived he had napped through large chunks of the afternoon. Mustang seemed reluctant to let him go he noticed and he had no complaints about that as he tried to will the head ache away. He felt he had wasted a whole day when he could have been getting things done.

When Havoc appeared, he found a drowsy looking cat getting handfed on Mustang's lap.

"It's awake now." He said as he watched from a safe distance and saw the golden ear flick at his words.

"Yes." Mustang replied.

"No more bleeding?" The cat turned its head to look at Havoc. He miaowed and looked at the blond man.

Riza shook her head. "No, and its slept most of the day."

Edward looked from one to the other. "What bleeding?" He miaowed again. What the hell were they talking about?

"What did Armstrong have to say?" Mustang asked.

"There were a few random sightings but nothing as definite as that first guy. Armstrong says he checked out a few places the boys had been last time they were there and there were signs that someone had been there recently."

"Could they have already left?" Riza asked.

"Its possible, Riz." Havoc sighed. "And the Rockbell girl and the bookworm took this afternoon's train to go and see for themselves."

Edward pricked his ears up. Winry and Schieska were going south? What if they found Al? Although it sounded as if Armstrong hadn't found him yet.

"If anything could bring Ed out, it will be those two." Hawkeye remarked and Edward felt completely confused. What was she talking about? They were looking for Al. Weren't they?

"Not necessarily." Mustang said with a frown. "Edward's very protective of those he cares about. If he thinks there's danger around, approaching them would be the last thing he'd do. He's already taking care not to be seen too often and he's dyed his hair and changed his clothes. He's not looking to be found at the moment."

Edward froze. He was here, how could he be there too? That was what Mustang was saying, wasn't it? His head ached and he wondered if there was something seriously wrong with his hearing. Where was Al in all of this?

"If Armstrong can find them and at least keep a discreet distance then if they do need help, he'll be close by." Hawkeye stated.

Them. Them who? Edward looked from face to face. They weren't really meaning that there was someone who looked like him wandering around too, did they? And with Al? No, that wasn't possible. He was here, there was no-one else who looked like him. The only time he had ever seen anyone look like him had been when…he froze. No. That wasn't possible. That was just impossible. Images filled his head and it throbbed. Faces shifted and melted into each other. Mustang, Hughes, Gracia, Ross, Basque Grand, his own and then finally amethyst eyes filled with hatred stared at him. That long tendrilled hair and the androgynous figure.

Envy. Envy had changed shape and mocked him with his own face across that large array. There had been words but he couldn't hear them through the blood pulsing in his ears. What if Envy had survived the transmutation? It was possible. Ed had had nothing to weaken him with before he had stuck his arm through his chest. He was a homunculus. Ed had seen the regenerative powers Greed had had. Envy probably had similar abilities. And Envy had found Al. Somehow. For all I know, Envy followed us to the hospital and took him. Ed closed his eye and shook. How much worse could this get?

It was bad enough knowing that he had brought his brother back as a homunculus but to know that Envy was with him was worse. He remembered what Envy had done to Wrath when they had first met and the thought that he would, or already had done the same to his brother chilled him to the bone.

"Ouch!" Roy looked down. The little cat had gone tense in his lap and its claws were out and digging into his legs. The cat had its head down and he could see the fur bristling along its back. He reached down and began to pull the claws from his flesh, biting his lip as they suddenly retracted with a sudden twitch and the cat looked up. It twisted and slid off his lap and then down to the floor. It walked slowly without looking back and disappeared into Roy's bedroom.

"What's with that?" Havoc asked.

"I don't know." Roy replied and frowned slightly.

* * *

Hohenheim was surprised when Rudolf Von Sebottendorf called round to visit two weeks after Noa moved in. He had one of the other members with him and the three sat and chatted lightly for awhile.

"I'm going to Paris for a few weeks so I thought I would just introduce you to Fraulein Dietlinde Erkhart. She's very knowledgeable and I'm sure you'll be able to work together while I'm gone." He smiled at them both as they stared thoughtfully at each other. Hohenheim looked at the calm, collected woman and he felt the chill deepen. There was something in her eyes that he didn't trust.

As they were leaving, Al and Alfons entered, discussing the flammable properties of some propellant they had been experimenting with for the last week. Hohenheim smiled and shook his head. The boys had long since surpassed his ability to understand what they were doing.

"They're still as enthusiastic as ever I see, Hohenheim."

"Yes, those two never know when to stop." He replied and missed the interest that sparkled briefly in the Fraulein's eyes.

"Rockets?" She asked politely.

"Yes. Alfons believes they will be of great benefit to future generations."

"Perhaps they will." She replied and she smiled slightly.

* * *

Ed slipped under the bed and curled up. His head was pounding and he felt sick to his stomach but he was ignoring it all as he tried not to let himself imagine what Envy would do to his brother.

What was he going to do now? He had thought it would be simple. Reveal himself and help find Al. He hadn't thought any further than that. Once he was actually facing Al, he would know if he really was a homunculus, as he feared, and then he would have to decide what to do next. But the appearance of Envy caused him to rethink. If Envy knew Ed was still alive, what would he do to Al? If Envy knew Ed was here, what would he do to the people he cared about? Envy hated him beyond all reason. He would enjoy seeing him suffer and Envy knew him well enough to know exactly what would hurt him the most.

Ed frowned. He trusted Mustang. Didn't he? These last few weeks had shown him a new side to the man who had been the bane of his life for the last four years. For all his injuries and distance from things, he was doing all he could to find Al. He was trying to find ways to protect his crew. He recalled bits of their brief conversation before Ed had gone down to the old city. He respected Mustang. The man had always kept to his convictions despite all appearances. Ed could see him sacrificing everything to save his friends, just as he had done to save his brother.

But if he trusted Mustang and revealed himself and could convince the man, he would then have to extend that trust to everyone else. It wasn't Mustang's crew that worried him, it was the unsettled conditions in the military itself. He had heard enough earlier to realise that Mustang and his crew were being watched. Mustang was a Brigadier-General but there were those rumours. Ed knew the truth and probably understood better than Mustang what had happened that night. If anything else happened, like having the Fullmetal Alchemist reappear as a cat… Ed paused. Mustang was never going to be able to explain that one satisfactorily. Everything would be jeopardized. Everything from finding Al to keeping everyone alive.

Ed curled up tighter, burying his face beneath his tail. It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't supposed to have happened like this. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

* * *

Envy looked over at Wrath. They had managed to get onto the train without being seen and were now comfortably ensconced in the baggage car. Wrath had curled himself up and gone to sleep and left Envy to sit and ponder.

East for now and then to work their way around every place Envy suspected there to be red stones at. He needed an alchemist and he knew he was not going to find a willing one. With enough red stones he could probably tempt one to help him. Once he found one stupid enough to take the bait, he could easily hold him until he was no longer useful. But first he had to get the stones.

He might get Wrath to take the braid out before they got off the train. It was useful but it was uncanny just how much he looked like the pipsqueak. This was all his fault. Maybe he ought to take a small trip to Central and pay a visit to the little bastard's friends. As he could no longer take his resentment out on the little shit, hurting his friends would be partially satisfying. Some days you just had to settle for second best.

* * *

When Roy came into his room he couldn't see the little cat anywhere and he frowned. The bed was empty and he had not seen him leave the room since he had disappeared into it earlier that evening. The window was closed and there was no other way out. It had to be here. He remembered what had happened the last time the animal had been upset and made sure the bedroom door was closed before he got down on his hands and knees and looked under the bed.

He could see the small ball of cat against the wall. Roy sighed. The poor little thing looked so forlorn. He stood up and pulled the bed away from the wall. The cat didn't move and he knelt down before reaching out to pick it up. The cat twitched and its eye opened and looked at him. He felt it take a deep breath, almost like a sigh and he cradled it against his chest.

"Come on little one." He stood up slowly and managed to push the bed back against the wall one-handed and using his legs as well. He sat on the bed and leant back with the cat still held against him. Ed could hear Mustang's heart beating and felt the man's breath against his fur.

"I wish you could talk, little one. There's something bothering you and I think it has to do with Alphonse." Roy kept his voice soft and could feel the stillness in the little cat. "I don't know how much you understand, little one, but you always seem to know when they're being discussed. I think Al meant a lot to you." He felt the cat quiver and he smiled gently. "Yes, you're his cat."

The golden eye blinked at him and then the cat lowered his head and nestled against Roy's chest. Roy stroked it slowly as it kept shaking.

Ed cried inside. He couldn't tell him. He couldn't tell any of them. Not yet. Not until he knew they were safe.

* * *

Dietrich Eckart was a male member of the Thule Society and one of several members who thought the Society should be used for as a vehicle to promote a political agenda. Dietlinde Eckhart appears as a female counterpoint in the movie, so I am using her character here.

Author's Note: I hope I'm not confusing you too much…smiles

silken :)


	8. Disturbances

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Disturbances  
**

Edward woke up slowly and wondered why his blanket was moving. He opened his eye as he yawned and found himself curled up on Mustang's chest. Every breath he took made Edward rise slightly and he smiled at the strange motion. He stopped smiling as he remembered yesterday and he shifted slightly to look at the sleeping man.

He couldn't put them at risk. Not with Envy out there. Not while Al was with Envy. It was too dangerous and he could lose everything again. At least he would be able to keep track of things as long as he stayed next to Mustang. And while he daren't actually do anything openly, he knew Mustang was going to be watching him. He could use that to his advantage.

Mustang would be back in his office in a week, he just had to make sure he went too. He didn't think he would be left behind, but Hawkeye might have something to say about that. He would have to find a way to ensure that he went to Headquarters.

Mustang moved beneath him and the dark eye opened. Sleepily, he looked at the cat and lifted it from his chest. He turned on his side and held the cat close to him, almost cuddling it to him. Roy closed his eye and slipped back into sleep.

Ed stayed still for a moment until he felt the man relax into a deeper sleep. He stretched himself out comfortably and felt the warmth of Mustang along his back. It was easier to move today, his ribs weren't protesting as much and his headache had gone for which he was very grateful. He settled and purred absently. He was getting better and he would find a way to make everything right.

* * *

Envy and Wrath stayed on the train for three days until it reached Central. They slid between the crowds quickly and without attracting any attention to themselves. Envy made Wrath unbraid his hair and replace it with a low ponytail. He had found a tin of brown paint in the train car and had managed to smear it through his blond hair.

No-one had seen Al without the armour in Central but the Military was here and he didn't want to run the risk of being stopped. And they both carried enough of a resemblance to the Fullmetal brat to have some stupid moron of a soldier want to stop and chat with them. Envy didn't do small talk.

They slipped onto the next eastbound train and found a corner to hide away in. Envy was finding this method of traveling was making him tense. He'd never had to worry about being seen before. He'd been able to be whoever he wanted and now he couldn't. And because of that, he couldn't allow anyone to see him. It annoyed him and his traveling companion didn't help either.

Wrath was not very smart. He had the mental capacity of a small child and Envy found himself having no-one to talk to. Wrath didn't understand sarcasm or cynicism and any snide remarks had to be explained. Wrath was happy to watch the countryside pass, Envy found himself hating his own company. He hadn't realised how much he had depended on having a partner, an intelligent partner, to work beside before.

He sighed as he watched Wrath stick his head out the window again. It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Hohenheim took his work to the Thule-Gesellschaft for the next few weeks. He didn't feel comfortable having Fraulein Eckhart in his house. He would work his variations into the arrays during the evenings at home, but at the Society's Headquarters he kept to the basics. The Fraulein was very intelligent he noticed and she seemed to be extremely knowledgeable in the arcane and esoteric fields that he had been discussing with von Sebottendorf. He had to be even more careful not to exhibit any more knowledge than what they already knew he had.

He wished again that there had been another way, but this had been the only option he had. They had the resources that he lacked. He still wasn't sure how von Sebottendorf had found him and the man had not been upset at the time it had taken Hohenheim to decide to respond to his letter. If Al had not appeared, Hohenheim knew he would have never replied.

Fraulein Eckhart never asked after the boys and she would translate obscure and unknown words for him on the parchments and manuscripts that they worked from. But there was something that bothered him and he couldn't put his finger on it. She knew a lot of the other members and they would often call past. She would always introduce them and he would be polite in return but he felt that they were not really that interested in what he was doing, so he didn't try to remember their names. They would talk in lowered voices and he paid them no attention. He went there, he worked and then he returned home.

* * *

Roy sat on the couch with an alchemy book in his hand and a cat on his lap. He turned the page and the cat batted at the page to push it back to the previous page. Roy tried again and a paw was placed firmly on the page. Roy looked at the little cat. It was staring at the page and he frowned slightly.

"Are you trying to read, little one?" he asked, amused at the thought.

"I'm not trying, bastard." The cat hissed at him without taking its eye from the book.

Roy chuckled. "Would you like me to read it to you?" he asked facetiously.

"Would you like me to remove your stitches for you?" The cat growled.

Roy pointed at the diagram and began to explain the connections of the array and the cat turned its head to look at him. A golden eye stared and Roy suddenly felt a prickling sensation in his thigh. He looked and saw little claws just starting to sink into his flesh.

"If you put those in my leg, I will get you de-clawed," he said calmly, even as his muscles tensed.

Cat and man stared at each other and slowly the claws were retracted. The cat sniffed loudly and then turned back to look at the book. Roy smiled and ran his fingers across the small head.

It had been a long day and he had done little but read. Riza was due home shortly and then they were going to the hospital to have his stitches removed. He was not looking forward to that. He would be glad to see them gone though. The spiky black threads caught on the bandages at times and he could feel them pull if he stretched too far. The cat miaowed and he looked down to see it trying to turn the page so he smiled and did it for him.

"I'm glad you're here, little one." A single ear flicked at his words and he could have sworn the little beast was reading the new page. He laughed softly and began reading as well as his fingers stroked the cat idly.

Edward was fascinated by Flame Alchemy. The calculations and arrays were quite complicated and he felt his respect for Mustang's talents increase. He had seen him use it on a few occasions, he had been the target of several of those events but he had never realised just how intricate it could be, or how deft you needed to be to wield it properly. He wondered when Mustang was going to start using it again. Ed knew that he had a pair of his gloves in the bottom of a drawer. He had watched Mustang unpack them but he hadn't seen them since. Maybe all this reading about it would inspire him to try again, Ed thought.

They fought over turning the next page and were still squabbling over it when Riza returned home.

* * *

Hohenheim watched as Al and Noa danced in the lounge. Al was definitely improving and Noa was more at ease with him too. Hohenheim had seen the shudder go through her the first time she had touched his son and he had berated himself for not warning her first. Noa had come to him afterwards and asked about Edward.

_"It was all I could see in his mind."  
_

_"Edward is Al's brother and Al has always been with him. Being separated from his brother hurts Al more than anything else can."  
_

_"I know," she said softly. "He loves his brother more than anything else. He has… they have…"  
_

_"I know," Hohenheim said gently. "Now you know why I want to protect him. He has suffered more than anyone deserves. I would like him to have a time of peace."  
_

_"Alphonse is so innocent for one who has seen so much. I thought it would hurt me but it doesn't. It's there but it rarely touches him, because of his brother. He has this belief, that as long as Edward is with him, regardless of what happens, he is safe."  
_

_"Edward is all Al has ever needed," Hohenheim said.  
_

His old gold eyes smiled slightly as he saw Alfons stand up for his turn. He could see the signs. Alfons was falling hard and fast for their housemate. And Noa was not adverse to it he noticed, as the gap between their bodies was a lot smaller than when Al had been her partner.

"Hey Dad?" Al said as he sat down beside him.

"What is it, Al?"

"I was thinking about that array you had the other day and you know, you could probably up the power ratio in it with an extra line in that left quadrant." Al paused. "You'd probably need to adjust the linking point but it could work."

Hohenheim pictured the array and mentally placed Al's suggestions on it. He frowned. "It's possible, but then you're going to lose most of the power you gain because the angles will be out of alignment."

Al frowned too and then stood up and dragged his dad up too. "No, I think I can get around that by making the other lines convex…" he kept talking and the two left the room leaving a bemused Alfons and Noa behind.

"Do they always do that?" Noa asked.

"Sometimes. I have no idea what they're doing, but it keeps Al happy," Alfons said and then looked at her and he suddenly forgot what he was planning to say as he found himself staring into her eyes. She seemed just as dumbstruck as he was and he found himself leaning closer to her. Her eyes drifted half closed and her lips parted and he could feel her breath at his face.

"Hey Alfons! Convex lines! Look, we can use these angles for stabilising!" Al came bursting into the room with a sketch on a piece of paper.

"Al." Alfons spoke heavily as Noa bit her lip and laid her head on Alfons' shoulder before she began to laugh.

"What?" Al asked as he looked from one to the other, completely oblivious to the moment he had just interrupted.

* * *

Roy and Ed sat in the examination room waiting for the doctor. Riza had objected when Roy had automatically picked up the cat to bring it along with him.

_"The cat will be fine here, Roy. You can't take it with you."  
_

_"I checked, they don't mind if he comes with me. The doctor said he'd be pleased to see him again," Roy had replied firmly. "I'm sorry Riza, but where I go, the cat goes too."  
_

_Both the cat and Riza had blinked at that statement. The cat had miaowed and Roy had stroked it as he kept his eye on Riza. She had taken a deep breath.  
_

_"I think you're making too much of that cat, Roy. I know where we found it and I know it helped keep you alive, but it is just a cat."  
_

_"To you maybe, but not to me." He had paused and then said slowly. "You have a future, Riza. At the moment, I don't. And if having a cat to look after is all I can do right now, then I will do that." Ed felt Mustang's fingers tremble and realised how hard it was for the man to admit how uncertain he felt at the moment. Ed had batted his head against the stroking fingers and miaowed at him.  
_

_Riza had looked down and then up again. "Alright. Let's go before you're late." And she got the keys and said no more about the cat coming with them.  
_

There had been another small dispute when Roy had told Riza he didn't want her in the room when the stitches were removed. Ed had stayed in the crook of Roy's arm as he had listened. He didn't quite understand why Roy was adamant on not having her in there. Yes, the scars were bad but surely having a friend there would be a help? Al and Winry had been intimately acquainted with his scars, especially the automail ones.

Roy's stance was hurting Riza. Ed could see her face becoming stiff and he miaowed softly trying to offer his support. He didn't expect her to frown at him and he edged back slightly before he knew what he'd done. Mustang hadn't noticed and he went into the room without looking back.

Roy was amusing himself by trying to grab the cat's tail when the doctor entered. The little beast was lying beside him and would deliberately flick his tail whenever Mustang made to catch it. Several times he hadn't been quick enough and Mustang had grinned at his success.

The doctor smiled at them and stroked the cat in greeting as it miaowed back. He gently prodded at the small creature's ribs and nodded.

"They're healing well, I see."

"Yes. He moves much easier now," Roy replied. "The vet said much the same last week." Ed hissed at that. He still hadn't forgiven them for taking him there.

"He didn't really enjoy that visit." Roy smiled at the cat and ran his hand down its back. The cat made a grumbling noise and curled up on the table away from Mustang's hand.

"I see he still has as much character as he had before." The doctor watched with a smile as he moved closer to Mustang. "Let's do your eye first."

Roy reluctantly took the patch off. The doctor frowned.

"You've been wearing the patch too much. The skin's a bit raw at the side here. Tilt your head this way please." Roy tilted his head and the doctor began to pull at the first stitch with his forceps. Once the knot was clear of the skin he snipped the thread with his scissors and pulled the stitch free. Roy winced.

"There's been no overgrowth, so these should come out easily. Leave the patch off more often. The skin has grafted together very nicely." He kept up a running commentary as he kept removing the stitches. Roy winced and twitched at each one. He could feel the skin pulling and it felt as if he had a line of dots around his eye.

The little cat came over and slipped onto his lap as he became tenser and his fingers began stroking it automatically. It purred and he felt himself feeling calmer inside even as he continued to twitch.

"All done. Now if you'll take off your shirt, we can do your shoulder," the doctor said and Roy reluctantly slipped his shirt off. The doctor removed the padded bandage and prodded at it. "Yes. These can all come out."

The little cat twisted in his lap and looked up at him and Roy had to smile even as he began twitching all over again. It took longer to remove those ones and Roy could feel himself shaking by the end of it. The cat miaowed as the last one came out and Roy stroked it as he took a deep breath, glad it was all over.

"You're healing nicely. You really have been very lucky considering the mess you were in when I first saw you," The doctor said. "Keep moving it around. You don't want the skin to tighten up. You've managed not to lose much mobility there, but if you don't exercise it often, you could lose more. You still have some of that cream?"

"Yes."

"Good. Using the cream will keep it stretched and the skin supple. I understand you're going back to work next week?"

"Yes I am," Roy said firmly.

"Nothing too strenuous and you should be fine. Come back in a month."

Roy began to place the bandage back on to his shoulder and the doctor shook his head. "No, you don't need that any more." Roy frowned but put the bandage down and picked up his shirt. He slipped it on and the cat watched as he buttoned it up and reached for his eye patch. The doctor watched him tie it on.

"All scars look bad at this stage of the healing process. They will lose that raw look and they will fade over time." The doctor saw the closed look on his patient's face and knew he wasn't prepared to listen to him. Only time was going to prove him right and Mustang did not want to hear that.

Roy picked up the cat and cradled it in the crook of his arm and shook the doctor's hand. He kept his face blank as he left the room and found Havoc waiting outside with Riza.

"What's happened?"

"Edward's been up to his old tricks, Roy," Riza replied and Roy and the cat looked at her. "There was an explosion near the Dublith train station three days ago. Armstrong thinks Ed did it deliberately to give him the slip. He hasn't been able to get a single sighting since then. He thinks they slipped out during the disturbance, but he can't find any tracks anywhere."

* * *

Envy and Wrath slipped through East City like ghosts. Envy knew that Ed had been here for too many years and he was taking no chances at being seen. He led Wrath through a maze of back alleys and side streets until they reached the depot where they managed to get a ride on a transport truck heading out towards Liore that afternoon.

* * *

Hohenheim looked up as Al came into his study with a pensive expression on his face.

"What's the matter, Al?" he asked as his son dropped into the other chair and looked unhappy.

"It's Alfons," he grumbled.

"Whose theory are you arguing over now?" Hohenheim asked.

"No-one's. It's just he's gone with Noa to the markets again. We never get any work done anymore," Al complained. Hohenheim smiled and Al saw it. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Don't worry, Al. Alfons will be back to work soon. It's probably a bit hard for him to concentrate at the moment anyway."

"It sure is. I can't believe he went and put the booster in backwards the other day."

"When he settles down, it will all become normal again."

"Why? What's going on?"

Hohenheim looked at his innocent son. "Alfons likes Noa, Al."

"I like her too, but I'm not putting things in backwards or…oh!" Al stopped and his eyes went wide. "You mean, like as in _like_, Dad?"

"Yes Al."

"How long will it take before he's back to normal?"

"As long as it takes. You can't rush these things." Hohenheim smiled.

"But without him, I can't do much." Al almost pouted.

"If there's nothing you can do without Alfons, perhaps you can help me with these calculations?"

"Okay." He sighed. "I wish these arrays could actually work. I miss not being able to do alchemy." And Edward. I miss you Brother.

* * *

Edward Elric was one very unhappy cat. He sat on the couch and stared at the closed door to the apartment. Roy Mustang had gone out and left him behind. He hadn't quite believed it when the man had suddenly stood up and grabbed his coat and left with an "I'll be back shortly." Edward had stared at him and had been too stunned to react in time. The door had already closed before he got there to miaow and complain loudly.

He had contemplated putting his claws into some of Mustang's things but had decided that that would be a poor substitute for actually putting them into the man's flesh. So he was waiting for him to return and threat of de-clawing or not, he was going to let Mustang know exactly how he felt.

He looked across at Hayate. With Mustang home all day, Hayate stayed home too. He had never met a more boring dog. Hawkeye must have shot all the mischief out of it he thought. Although being here with only Mustang around was slowly corrupting it he noticed. Hayate was actually curled up on Riza's chair instead of in his designated spot beside it. But the dog did nothing but sleep and chase imaginary rabbits. Ed watched the tail and paws twitch and wondered what would happen if he went over there to grab that tail.

He could understand why Mustang had gone out. It was boring in here now. Three long days would make anyone feel like the walls were closing in. They had read all of the books and Mustang had even picked up one of Riza's this morning in desperation. He could understand him needing to go out, what he couldn't forgive was being left behind.

If Mustang left him behind this time, would he leave him behind when he returned to the office? How was he going to get them moving in the right direction, if he wasn't there? So much for all that 'where I go, the cat goes too' he thought.

There had been no news about Al since Armstrong's last report on that explosion. Edward knew Envy would have orchestrated that somehow. A diversionary tactic to escape from their surveillance. Envy wasn't stupid, Ed knew that. Envy would have a plan, he would have something in mind. Ed just couldn't figure it out.

Envy had always wanted to be human, but there was no Stone any more so there seemed no way to make that happen. If Al had become a homunculus like Wrath then perhaps he'd be able to do alchemy. Wrath had been able to perform alchemy because he'd had Ed's original limbs, and Al now had his whole body back. Who knew what affect that would have on him in this new state. Wrath had disappeared and Ed had no idea where he had gone. After Ed had killed his mo… no, he had destroyed Sloth, Wrath had gone. What if Envy and Al found Wrath? Envy would love that. He could have two workers of alchemy under his control. Ed shivered. What would Envy do then?

And if Envy found Wrath, what would happen if he found Tucker as well?

Maybe he should let Mustang know he was here. They could at least be prepared if Envy did come this way. With or without an entourage. Being prepared was not really possible against an angry Envy. Pride had run the military with Sloth at his side. Envy would have still have contacts, he was sure of it. One little rumour of Ed being alive and Envy would hear it. And they would all suffer because of him. He couldn't take that risk. Not yet. Not until he knew.

The door opened suddenly and Ed looked up with a hiss. Roy Mustang stood there, breathing hard, his face pale. He closed the door behind him and went straight to the bathroom. Ed frowned and slipped off the couch. He padded to the bathroom and looked in.

Mustang was standing in front of the mirror. Ed watched as he reached up and tugged the patch off and stared at his scars. The patch was thrown against his reflection and his hands gripped at the basin in front of him. Ed could see him shaking and wondered what had happened.

_"Mummy, what's wrong with that man's face?"  
_

_"Don't point, sweetheart. Come on, it's rude to stare."  
_

Roy heard the words again as he looked at his face.

_"But it's so ugly, Mummy."_

He shook.

_"Back from up North, soldier boy?" came a call from a long-legged redhead.  
_

_"You're not going to try that one are you, Hazel?" He didn't think the redhead's companion knew he could hear her, or the reply she got.  
_

_"The uglier the wound, the more they'll pay, darlin'."  
_

His hands tightened. In less than an hour he had realised that things were different now. That he was different now. He was proven right. The patch was too noticeable, it was too obvious that he was damaged, that he was scarred. That he was no longer whole. He had lost an eye. Even the words were damaged. It wasn't lost, it was gone. It was never going to be found or come back. He was going to be like this for the rest of his life.

He wanted to get back to the office. Back into the comfort zone where scars were understood. Where no one judged you on what you looked like. Where he would have something to do. Where he wouldn't feel so damned useless.

"Damned fucking useless," he ground out through his teeth. A querying miaow came from beside him and he saw the cat had jumped up to the basin and was watching him.

"Useless. Fucking ugly and damned useless. That's all I am now, little one." He stared back at his reflection and pulled his shirt open. The furrowed red lines were still raw and they seemed worse to his prejudiced eye. "I failed and all I have are these ugly marks. It's disgusting." He spat the words out to his reflection. "I'm disgusting."

Edward watched. He didn't think the scars were that bad. For a brief moment, he wished Mustang had seen his automail scars, then he'd know what scars really meant. But he knew what Mustang was going through. At eleven, he hadn't worried too much about having scars. As he had grown older he had learnt to keep them covered. People did look ill at the sight of them and he knew it hurt Al to see them. Maybe he hadn't been a ladies man like the Colonel had been and maybe he hadn't thought twice about his looks in his life, but he knew what it was like to have people see only your scars and not you.

Edward miaowed and walked along the basin to rub his head against Mustang's arm as he passed and stopped right in front of him. Cats had a lovely sense of balance he thought as he stood on the basin edge and pushed up onto his hind legs and pressed his forepaws to Mustang's chest. He looked up and met the dark eye.

"Only if you don't accept them, do they become ugly, you idiot." He miaowed. Mustang looked at the small cat. It too had an eye missing, it had an automail leg and it had a large scar on his chest. But it was a cat, scars were probably not something it thought about. It was looking at him with a determined fixed stare.

"I wish I could understand you, little one, but this is not something you can help me with. No-one can really." He sighed. "I'll find a way to get through this. Somehow," he muttered quietly and the golden ears flickered.

"That's what you have friends for, you moronic bastard." The cat growled at him and Roy almost smiled at the insistent sound. He put an arm around the little animal and lifted it from the basin as he stood upright. He cradled it against his chest as he picked up his patch. He sighed and walked to his room. He put the cat on the bed and put his patch on and did his shirt up before lying on the bed.

He looked up at the ceiling and reached out to pull the cat closer. It was never going to get better.

"Next time I go out, I'll take you with me."

* * *

Envy and Wrath slipped from the truck just before it reached Liore and circled the city before entering from the other direction. It was annoying having to be so careful and he wished again that he could change, or that Wrath could.

Lust had had some stones with her here and he knew where they should be. He didn't think she had taken them all back with her when they had left. They had been a bit hurried and there had not been time to clear out all their stashes.

There were a lot of people here now, he thought. They were rebuilding as fast as they could. The military was here too, but they were being very cautious. It was going to take a long time before either side would be comfortable with the other.

When Envy found where the first cache had been, he swore. It was in an area that was still sand. The stones were here though, he could feel them. He was very grateful they hadn't been sucked up into the transmutation. He wondered if their impure state had kept them from being used and knew again that he needed to find an alchemist.

He marked the spot and then hid with Wrath for the rest of the day. They came back that night and Envy tried to get Wrath to use his alchemy to move the sand. But Wrath refused and Envy had to dig. He made sure Wrath knew how unhappy he was by making him dig too after he had hit him.

* * *

Alphonse Elric was drawing a circle and calculating the angles of several lines when the study door opened.

"Oh, excuse me, I was looking for Herr Hohenheim." A female voice had him turning around and staring at the strange blonde woman in the door.

"Uhh, Dad's just in the kitchen, Fraulein…"

"Eckhart. Fraulein Eckhart. I work with your father."

Al stood up and bowed his head slightly. "I'm pleased to meet you, Fraulein. I am Alphonse."

"Your father is a very intelligent man, Alphonse. You must be very proud of him."

"I am." He smiled and nodded.

"I see he's teaching you as well," she said with a tilted head to the paper beside him.

"Yes, Fraulein."

"Although I understand you prefer rockets and science."

Al nodded. "They are very interesting and compared to the zeppelins and small aeroplanes, they are going to be much faster and stronger." He smiled and was about to launch into a detailed description when his father appeared.

Hohenheim frowned so fleetingly Al wasn't sure if it had been there or not. His father smiled at the Fraulein and Al could see no trace of any frown or displeasure on his face so he forgot all about it.

Hohenheim asked Al to get the Fraulein a coffee but she declined saying she had merely called around to give him some new manuscripts and that his son's manners were to be commended and she was sure he was very proud of the young man's intelligence as well.

Hohenheim smiled and showed her out while all the time the back of his neck was prickling with very bad feelings.

He was closing the door when Alfons and Noa returned from their lunch out. He kept it open for them and missed seeing Fraulein Eckhart smile and her eyes light up at the sight of the dark-haired girl.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye watched Brigadier-General Mustang sit down behind his desk. He had been more distant than normal lately and he was avoiding all queries about his injuries. Several times he had even moved away if she got too close. She frowned. It was as if he was withdrawing slightly. She wasn't quite sure if he was aware of it or whether he was doing it unconsciously. It was happening slowly. And she didn't think she was imagining it.

He had seemed happy enough to see Breda, Fuery and Falman again and after a week on his own, she had not been too surprised at his relief at being back in the office. And he was talking of moving back to his own apartment at the end of the week now he was almost back to normal. Riza wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She had promised a long time ago to always be there and protect him. With Maes, she had worked to keep him alive and safe so he could achieve his goal. That dreadful night had seen her fail. She hadn't been quick enough and he had been shot. He had nearly died and she had blamed herself. All his plans lost because she hadn't been quick enough. Because if he had not been in the hospital, she had no doubt that he could have taken control, he could have done everything he had always said he would.

She had sought to make amends by looking after him, by keeping his crew safe, by trying to make sure there was a place for him to return to. In her usual composed quiet manner she had held the office together and with Havoc, had been finding ways to ensure his continued survival. She had been hurt by his bitterness at being left out, now she was being pushed away and left out of whatever he was feeling and she was finding that it did indeed hurt.

The only one Roy seemed completely comfortable with was that little cat. Riza sighed. It wasn't a bad cat, it wasn't a good cat, it was just a cat and she couldn't understand how he had become so attached to it. She wasn't that attached to Hayate, was she? Well maybe, but that was different. Hayate was a dog, you were supposed to be attached to them. Not to cats. That was almost abnormal.

He had insisted on bringing it to the office and it was on one of the couches. The others had been pleased to see it and had fussed over it for a while before it had had enough and sauntered away to the couch and had stretched out as if it owned it. Now it had curled up and gone to sleep although its ears would twitch every now and again. At least she knew the little beast looked after him as closely as she did. It rarely moved from his side.

The sound of people approaching the doorway had her looking up and then standing to salute along with the rest of the office. Three Generals stood there and they entered with acknowledging nods.

"Perhaps if you would excuse your staff for a moment, Brigadier-General. We would like to keep this talk private."

"Certainly Sir." Roy said and a quick nod to Hawkeye had her leading the others out and closing the door behind her.

"Gentlemen," he said as he waved at the couches in invitation and they sat on one and waited for him to sit on the other. Where the cat shifted to stretch and relax against the side of his leg.

"He's still with you," General Ashlen said.

"Yes Sir."

"Mustang, we need to talk further about that night." General Bister informed him of their reason for calling. "While we are all pleased at your recovery and we are glad to have you back, you are the only witness we have to what happened that night. We understand that your injuries have caused some memory lapses although you were very helpful the last time we spoke on this matter." Bister paused. "To put it bluntly, Mustang. It has come to our attention that Colonel Archer had a grudge against you. Is that correct?"

"Yes sir." Roy frowned and paused.

"Go on." Ashlen said.

"It's an old grudge going back many years. I became a Major because I was a State Alchemist and then a Colonel. He has always felt bitter at my rank being higher than his as we both enlisted at the same time."

"And you were promoted again after Liore and he wasn't," Bister remarked.

"Yes Sir. He had only recently become a Colonel, he wasn't happy about that."

"Why was he at the Fuhrer's house that night?"

"I don't know Sir. The first I saw him was just before he shot me."

"Describe again what happened that night, Mustang." General Cresson spoke for the first time.

"I went there to question certain orders regarding the Northern campaign. I thought them highly irregular and didn't think the Fuhrer was aware of them. I thought he needed to know."

"We have seen those orders. I agree they were questionable," Bister said.

"I arranged to slip away and return to Central. I felt I had to be cautious. When I got here, I met with Edward Elric who informed me there was something strange in the higher command and that he was going to investigate further. I realised that I was right to be careful and that the Fuhrer was probably unaware of this." He paused and they nodded. The little cat had opened its eye and was staring at him.

"I went to the Fuhrer's mansion and was told to wait as he was busy and would be there soon. I think he had someone with him, I'm not sure. He appeared soon after and accused me of being in league with General Hakuro and plotting to take over the State. He said he had already heard all about it and after fighting off one assassination attempt, he was more than ready for a second. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about and I gave him the orders and said I had come to query those and if there was trouble then he should leave for a more secure location or at least get tighter security in place. That's when everything seemed to explode and there was a fire somewhere close by and the next thing I know he was attacking me and calling me a traitor." Roy took in a deep breath. He swallowed and felt the cat press against his leg slightly.

"There was a lot of shouting and the smoke was thick. I was trying to get him out of there when his son appeared. I think he went to try and save him as the ceiling began to collapse but he... he…" Roy stopped and shook slightly. "The sword…it went through him and I couldn't move quickly enough to get to them both." He fisted his hands in his lap.

"I got outside and Archer was there. All automail and hate and screaming at me. Saying that I had ruined everything but that he hadn't failed this time and he would make it all my fault. Him shooting me is the last thing I remember." Roy was pale and visibly trembling. Edward looked from him to the Generals. They were staying silent for a moment. Ed stretched slightly and batted his head against Mustang's leg and the gloved hand began to stroke his head.

"And Major Elric's continuing disappearance?" Cresson queried.

"I don't know where he is. I wanted to know if I could authorize an official search for him."

"His brother is missing too."

"If Major Elric had found something harmful to the military, then his brother could be used against him. The Major is extremely attached to his Brother. I think he is in trouble somewhere and I think we need to find him."

"For his information?"

"Of course, Sir."

"You have a month, Mustang," Cresson said.

"And after that, Sir?"

"Depending on what you discover, he will either be found or charged with desertion."

* * *

Edward watched as Mustang stared at the closed door. He stood up and stretched his back in a high arch before climbing into Mustang's lap. Mustang looked at him.

"I don't suppose you know where Edward is, little one?"

"Right here, bastard." The cat miaowed at him as Mustang scratched behind his ears.

"No, I didn't think so." Mustang smiled. "But I have some time now. And I will make the most of it. I will find Ed and Al for you. We will get him out of whatever mess he's in, I promise you that."

Ed sighed. Promises like that could end up biting you when you least expected them. He had promised to restore his brother and look how he had managed to screw that one up. It was going to be harder to stay silent now but he had to. Letting them search for Envy without telling them what they were up against was risky enough, but having Envy find out he was here would kill them all. And Al.

Edward was struck by the guilt. He was doing all this, he was risking them for his brother's sake. Al had been the centre of his life for so long and he was again doing everything he could to keep him safe, even now, when he was nothing but a soulless creature.

He wondered if Al remembered him at all.

* * *

Author's Note: And so it keeps coming… and thank you for the comments and reviews, I really am enjoying this story, so I am more than pleased to know you are too.

silken :)


	9. Searching

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Searching**

Roy Mustang had a large map spread out on his desk and he was leaning over it. A small golden cat was sitting on the desk, its single eye watching the man and occasionally looking at the map.

"If they've left Dublith, where would they go next?" he muttered. "Damn, if I knew why he was running, I'd at least have some idea of where he's going."

Edward considered the same thing. Envy had Al and was planning something. But what? Why had he gone south in the first place? There was no-one there. Ed had killed Greed and Dante … Dante had been in the old city. What had happened to her? It was a patchy blur after he had brought Al back. He remembered seeing Al and then nothing definite. Envy and Dante had been there. He had a vague impression of the array flaring but he couldn't bring the memories out into the open. And Envy and Dante hadn't been there when he had woken up and found himself changed.

They had killed Al, he was certain of it. He had brought Al back and they had killed him. He wasn't sure if he was happy or not to be unable to remember that. He didn't think he would stay sane with an image like that, but not knowing exactly what had happened was just as unsettling. But the evidence was irrefutable. He had activated the array a second time to bring his brother back, only this time he had brought Al back as a homunculus. How else to explain Al walking around, apparently alive? And the price had been his being stuck in this form. Were there other prices that he was still unaware of? Was the backlash from the alchemy attempt part of those prices, he wondered.

Envy had survived, had Dante? He didn't know. He did know that if they had killed Al, he would have done everything he could to kill them. Perhaps she had survived, that would explain why Envy was taking care not to be seen. Ed knew there was little love lost between them. But if that was so, then Envy would never have gone south. He would have avoided anywhere she might have gone. So maybe she was dead, or gone. Which meant Envy was free to do whatever he wanted.

And he had Al with him. What would he do to Al? Ed shivered and felt his fur fluff slightly. The first thing he had done with Wrath was to… to… feed him red stones. Ed tensed. If he gave them to Al, Al would change completely. Did Envy have any? Ed had no idea where the homunculi got their stones from. Lab Five had been destroyed and so had the red water source at Xenotime. But there had to be other places. The homunculi had had centuries to discover them all.

Ed stretched slightly and looked at the map. So many places to search. He stood up and padded around to look at the Eastern Districts. He and Al had traveled extensively through this area. His eye followed the train routes and then the roads where they had hitched or walked. He knew Envy had been in the East as well.

"You think east, little one?" Roy asked and Ed looked up at him.

"No," he miaowed. "If I was on the run I wouldn't go back to where everyone knew me, you moron." He growled slightly.

"Ed spent a lot of time in the East. He'd know who he could trust and rely on," Roy said thoughtfully as he lightly scratched at the golden ears. "If he needs help, he'd know where to find it." He smiled as the cat made a small noise. "I think we'll send Armstrong and Falman to East City," he mused.

Ed sniffed. He didn't see any reason for Envy to go to the east, especially now Liore was destroyed. He would have thought Envy more likely to return to Central, but if Envy was seeking the stones, there was no telling where he'd go. Ed sighed. East was just as good as anywhere else he supposed.

At least Mustang was not launching a full scale search. Ed had been slightly relieved at that.

"Fuery's sent the word out to all the bases," Hawkeye said as she re-entered the room and came to stand beside him. She looked at the cat, who blinked at her before curling up on the Eastern Districts.

"Get word to Armstrong and Falman and send them to East City. If Brosh and Ross are still here, send them West," he said as he absently pushed the cat back a little bit. "Ed knows the East and if he needs to hide, then he'll know every hiding spot there is there."

Hawkeye nodded." So why the west as well?"

"Because if you were running from everyone, you'd also consider going in the totally opposite direction as well, Hawkeye." He looked at her. "Ed's not stupid and I'm sure he has good reasons for whatever he's doing. But he has to know that we'd look for him. He could have gone west, because I don't think he's ever been that way and no-one would recognize him there. Or he could go west and then double back to the east to where he knows he can hide."

"We could get more staff assigned and cover the north and south as well."

"No. I don't want Ed to be found by anyone other than us. That's why Fuery's only putting out a Sight Notification alert. If anyone sees him, they will let us know. Ed won't come forward if he thinks it would put Al at risk and you know he doesn't respond well to any form of force."

"But Roy, we only have a month. These soft measures need more time to be effective. I think we should consider drafting extra personnel and have the alert upgraded. At least allow them to contact him."

"And if Edward gets contacted by those who know exactly what he has done?" Roy asked softly. "What are our chances of finding him after that, Riza?" He met her eyes with a somber expression on his face. "We have to find him first, before anyone else."

"Roy, you don't know that anything would happen to him."

"I know, but are you prepared to risk it? To risk both of them?" He held her gaze a bit longer. "And Edward's not going to trust anyone but us anyway. If we aren't there, he won't even consider coming forward."

The cat sneezed and they both looked at it. Ed was content and stared back at them. Envy would not come forward at all. Getting involved with the military would be the last thing he wanted, Ed hoped. But if a full scale search had been set in motion, Envy would be more likely to react violently and Ed did not want that. Not when his brother was right in the middle of it.

* * *

  
Alphonse Elric stood at the window and stared unseeing through the glass to the darkened street. How long had it been since he had seen his brother? It wasn't fair that he had come through to this side of the Gate and his brother had not. It hurt not knowing if Ed had survived or not. He liked it here. It was good to have a father again. To have a best friend who was almost like a brother. But it wasn't home and there was no Brother here.

Learning physics and rocketry was fun, it gave him something to do. It was different and he wanted nothing more than to be able to tell Ed all about it. Alchemy with dad was interesting too. Al learnt more than he had before. All the books and notes they had gone through in the study at Resembool paled against the knowledge the old man contained in his head.

He knew what his father was attempting and he didn't know if he should say anything or not. Al didn't think Dad knew that he had figured it out. But with Alfons completely distracted at the moment with Noa, Al had been spending a lot of time helping Hohenheim with his arrays. And Al had seen the variations his father had been working on.

He was searching for an array that would send Al back. Al frowned at his reflection. He was torn between hope and dread. To think of going back, to know there was a possibility of a chance filled him with hope. He could find out about his brother, he could go home. But it was worrying as well. What would crossing back require as a price? What if it failed? Failure wouldn't mean that it couldn't be done. Failure would result in death. Death was not a viable option as far as he was concerned. It would defeat the purpose.

"Al?" His father's voice was strangely gentle as Al turned and found Hohenheim standing beside him.

"What if you make a mistake, Dad?" Al whispered without thinking. Hohenheim looked startled and had to remind himself of just how intelligent his youngest child was.

"Alphonse. If there is a mistake, then I will be the one paying the price," he said in a serious voice. "I would never put you at risk." Your brother really would kill me, Hohenheim thought.

"Can I help?" Al asked hesitantly.

Hohenheim paused for a moment and then nodded. "Of course you can. But Al, we can't let Alfons know about this."

"I understand."  


* * *

Mustang would walk over to the map every now and again and stare at it before going back to his paperwork. Hawkeye and Havoc watched him and would exchange worried glances. Fuery returned and said he had organized special lines to the office for Armstrong and the others to use. Breda came back with more detailed maps and also lists of the places Edward had been sent to during the previous four years.

Schieska rang in to say they had found no signs of the Elrics anywhere and quick glances around the office had Hawkeye recommending they go to Rush Valley. Ed's ears twitched as he could hear the noise in the background as Winry reacted to that.

"They should be safe there," Roy said after Hawkeye had hung up. "Armstrong is almost certain the Elrics have left the South. I think we can safely leave the south to those two for the moment."

"You're not just going to leave them wandering around down there?" Hawkeye asked, her eyes widening a fraction.

"No Hawkeye." He frowned at her. "They'll call in regularly and we'll give them a way to keep in touch with Falman as well. It will save time and any important information is always going to come here first."

Edward watched. There was a tension between the two and he wasn't quite sure why. They had seemed okay this morning, but he had been concentrating more on making sure he wasn't left behind to worry about how they were behaving. He knew Hawkeye was not that happy with Mustang insisting on taking him everywhere, but Ed was too determined not to be left out to feel guilty about that.

As the day wore on, Edward got bored. He sprawled on the couch for an hour and then amused himself by wandering across Mustang's desk and lying right over his paperwork. He let Mustang poke his pen at him and batted at it. That kept them both amused for ten minutes before Hawkeye cleared her throat and they heard the safety on her gun flick off. Both of them sighed and Mustang tugged to pull a file out from under the cat and Edward rolled over as it moved. A gold eye met a black one and a quick smile crossed Roy's face before he opened the file. Ed stretched and stood up, padding across the desk to reach up slightly and rub his head against Mustang's jaw before slipping down onto the man's lap and then dropping carefully to the floor.

His ribs were much better but sudden or fast movements aggravated the low grade ache he was ignoring. He looked around as he sauntered around the room. Everyone was being busy and he was bored. He eyed the open door and with a quick glance up at Mustang, he slipped out of the office.

He wandered down the corridor, staying close to the wall. It was good to be on his own. Apart from that time when Mustang had left Hawkeye's apartment, he had always been around them. Now he could breathe and feel free for a change. He was getting too used to being around Mustang. It was annoying. Mustang was annoying.

He was reliant on the man. But he was also seeing that Mustang needed him and that was more than annoying, that was downright strange. Ed had decided it was a cat thing to need to be rubbed and petted. He found he needed that contact not only to appease his instincts but also to ease the sense of isolation and loneliness he felt. He often found himself curling up in Mustang's lap just to be able to feel the warmth of someone else. He missed having Al beside him and Mustang had become his substitute.

But he was noticing that Mustang would often pick him up and place in him in his lap for no apparent reason and Ed wondered if he was feeling a similar need for contact. Since he had come back that day, Mustang had been extra careful about keeping his scars covered. He had refused at first to go out with Hawkeye to the markets but she had finally convinced him, mainly by picking the cat up and threatening to leave Mustang home alone. In the end, Hawkeye had had Hayate on his leash and Ed had half walked and been half carried around the markets. Mustang had not been comfortable for all he had tried to hide it. Ed had felt him tense several times and when they had returned home, Mustang had shut himself in his room for an hour and laid flat on his bed staring at the ceiling. All Ed had been able to do was curl up beside him and purr.

Ed wandered down another corridor. Maybe having this search would give Mustang a purpose and stop him from becoming depressed. Ed knew what depression looked like. He had seen it in himself and Al had always been there to stop him from sliding too far. Mustang wasn't letting anyone help him, except Ed. And Ed wasn't too sure how much help he was being.

He sniffed suddenly and his eye gleamed. He looked around and then turned down the next corridor. He was close to the mess hall. Mustang could wait. He had an office full of friends to keep him from depression for the moment. Ed could concentrate on the smells that enticed him and made his stomach grumble.

Edward walked carefully to the rear of the mess. He didn't think he'd have much success going in the front and he wasn't sure what the reactions would be. He didn't want to draw that much attention to himself.

He turned the corner and found a middle-aged private sitting on a crate, leaning against the wall with a plate of stew in his lap. Ed sniffed cautiously. It wasn't bad stew either. He padded slowly forward, his ears flickering and ready to run if there was any trouble. He could hear plates and enamel crashing in the kitchen area behind the screened door near the man and his tail flicked nervously. He stepped closer, his eye narrowing slightly as he sniffed again. The closer he got, the better that stew smelt.

"Hello cat," the private said and Ed froze. His ears went flat and he stepped back as his tail swished to the side.

The private laughed slightly. "You're a new one, aren't you? Don't think I've seen you here before. Bit nervous, are we?"

Ed looked at him as he rambled. The man was positively beaming at him and Ed wasn't sure whether to stay or run in the opposite direction. The man seemed harmless if overly friendly and Ed sniffed again. He could put up with friendly, if it meant he got some of that stew.

* * *

Alfons was smiling as he entered the study and found father and son bent over a large circular pattern.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Astrology, Alfons," Hohenheim replied and looked up to see Alfons look completely puzzled.

"Why?"

"Astronomy and several of the mathematical branches have their origins in astrology, Alfons." Hohenheim smiled at the young man. "It's a very old system. It has no real practical use these days, but it has historical significance."

Alfons looked dubious but shrugged. Anything that didn't concern rocketry or Noa was not going to interest him at all at the moment and Hohenheim was well aware of that fact. He knew he could have told Alfons that it was alchemy and he would have received the same response. But he didn't want anyone aware of Al's talents, so calling it something else would suffice to hide it. Sometimes Hohenheim wondered if he was becoming too paranoid, but he just couldn't convince himself otherwise. Four hundred years had sharpened instincts and he knew trouble was coming. He just couldn't see from which direction and that made him uneasy. The fact that there appeared to be no way to avoid whatever was coming and that Al was here, made the uneasiness become outright worry.

"There's a fair in the next town and Noa and I were going to go. We wondered if Al wanted to come too." Alfons looked from one to the other. He saw the way Al's eyes lit up and felt guilty. Noa had told him he was ignoring the teen but he hadn't realised how much until now as he saw Al smile happily.

"Yes," Al replied and then turned to Hohenheim. "Can I, Dad?"

Hohenheim nodded. "Of course you can."

He watched them leave with a smile. Al wasn't the solitary type. He needed to be near people. He had always had someone beside him and he needed that reassurance now. Especially as the one he most wanted was not here. When Al went off on his own, Hohenheim knew he would brood and make himself miserable. Being around other people let him know he wasn't alone here, that he wasn't still an empty shell.

Hohenheim had barely sat back in his study when there was a knock at the door. When he found Fraulein Eckhart on the other side of it, he was both pleased and relieved that the others were not around.

* * *

The stew was good and the garrulous private was more than willing to feed him.

"Not another one, Jig?" A resigned voice said as the screened door opened.

"Yep. A new one."

Ed looked up as an older corporal came through the door and leant against the wall before pulling out a cigarette. The nearly bald man looked at the little cat and then frowned slightly.

"I think it belongs to the Flame General," he said thoughtfully as he took his first long drag on his smoke.

"Why'd you say that?" Jig looked at the other man.

"Heard it near the bacon trays this morning. They said he was back and that he had a cat with him."

Jig frowned. "You never told me that."

"It was just two supply guys, Jig. No-one ever believes Supply. They never know anything. Normally," he said, the last word slightly disgruntled.

"I heard those Comm's saying he was back but they never mentioned a cat. They were saying he's searching for the Fullmetal Alchemist." Jig sat back and watched the cat as it kept eating the stew, the golden ears twitching. Communication's personnel were always reliable sources.

"That's just to keep him occupied, Jig," the older man said with a sly grin.

"Whaddya mean, Hill?" Jig looked up with a puzzled expression on his face. Neither noticed the cat look up as well. Hill looked around and then bent his head slightly.

"I heard that no-one really cares if he finds him or not, it's to keep Mustang out of the way now that Hakuro's loose again."

"That's stupid, Hill." Jig scoffed. "Hakuro's been locked up for weeks now."

"That's not what the old man from Security said. He had the mash for lunch. He says Hakuro slipped out a week ago and that the ABC are keeping it quiet." Hill used the slang that everyone was using now to indicate the three highest Generals at the moment. Ashlen, Bister and Cresson. Everyone knew that it would be one of them most likely to be named Commander in Chief, if and when the new Parliament and the military could reach an agreement.

"He probably told you that to get an extra serve," Jig said still not convinced.

"No, he didn't want an extra serve. He said that Cresson in particular wants it kept quiet and that he sent out a couple of Special Security to find him, with orders to kill on sight."

"Oh now I know it's wrong, Hill. 'Special Security'? That unit hasn't existed since before Ishbal. It got disbanded when Bradley took over, remember? They thought they could run the place before he closed them down."

"I know. And it took three units to do it, remember? We had funerals for weeks after that." Hill looked at his friend. "The old man says it was never shut down completely. Cresson became the liaison between them and Bradley. It's one reason why Cresson was always part of Bradley's High Command."

"I can't believe this, Hill. The guy tells you all of this for extra mash?"

"No." Hill shook his head. "He didn't want any extra, I told you that. He said he just wanted someone else to know, that he was too old to have to worry about who was running what these days."

"I know how he feels," Jig said with a sigh. Hill laughed.

"You've got years ahead of you yet, Jig." He stubbed his cigarette out. "Let them worry about it. That's what they got all them extra stripes and stars for."

Ed watched them, not quite understanding all that they were saying but knowing that his earlier assumption was more than possible. If this Cresson had been close to Bradley, then it was highly possible for Envy to know. And it was Cresson who had given Mustang his time limit.

"Hey, Hill?"

"Hmm?"

"If Hakuro took on Cresson…Who would win, d'ya think?"

Hill shrugged. "Not us, that's for sure. Neither of them have ever had much time for us." He paused. "If anyone, Ashlen would be the best, but you know he and Bister will be getting swept aside when Cresson moves."

Jig stretched and reached down for the now clean plate. He scratched the little cat behind the ears and Ed miaowed at him. "Come back tomorrow, Goldie, if you really are the Flame's pet."

"I am not his pet." The cat hissed softly. "He's mine." He sniffed at the man and finished cleaning his face.

Hill laughed. "Come on Jig, more dishes to do, and the evening meals to start."

Ed watched them enter the kitchens and stretched carefully. His ribs weren't aching too much at all and he was now pleasantly full. Perhaps he should go back to the office. He wondered how long it would take before the office heard those rumours. He knew how fast the stories could travel. He smirked slightly as he began to saunter away. He should really check and see what his pet was up to.

* * *

Envy sighed and looked at the stones in his hand. Not enough, not nearly enough. How was he going to get anywhere with a bare half dozen of them? They had been in Liore for three days now. Wrath remained in the demolished building they had been staying in while Envy went out to seek more stones.

Envy knew they would have to move on again and he had stolen a map last night from one of the military offices. He was looking at it now and deciding which way would allow him to cover the most ground without backtracking everywhere. He really missed the old days when he could be whoever he wanted and not have to worry about things like the military or a dimwitted companion.

He scratched at his head again. He was going to have to wash that paint out of his hair and go back to being a blond again. He scowled at Wrath. His alchemy was proving to be rather useless at the moment. Envy hadn't realised how little control Wrath actually had over it and he hadn't counted on his being sensitive to it now either.

When Wrath had been upset by Envy's remark that 'your mother hated you too', he had combined himself with the floor in his outburst. Envy had been frozen for a moment as he felt his skin tighten and his tattoo prickled as if someone had slid a needle into it. He had been worried… he wasn't calling it fear… that he would react as he had at Dante's. But after five minutes the tingling had stopped and he had managed to talk Wrath into a calmer state. When Wrath had freed himself from the floor, Envy had felt that tingling sensation again.

He sighed and looked at the map. He would widen his search tomorrow. If they headed a bit further East, there were places there he hadn't seen in a very, very long time.

* * *

"Look!" Hawkeye pronounced and pointed at Ed as soon as she saw him in the doorway. "Perfectly fine." He tilted his head and miaowed questioningly at her. He padded into the office and found everyone staring at him.

"It just went for a walk." Hawkeye continued as the little animal went past her desk and strolled easily to the Mustang's chair. Ed looked up at the man and miaowed. There was a slight frown on his face and he reached down to pick Ed up and placed him on his lap.

"I didn't think he wasn't okay, Hawkeye," Mustang said in a calm voice and Ed's ears twitched as Mustang's hand tightened around him. He looked up slightly puzzled. If he didn't know better he would have said that Mustang had just lied to his First Lieutenant and Ed could never remember that happening before. Not over something as trivial as this.

Judging from the frown that flickered across Hawkeye's face, she had picked it up as well. Ed looked from one to the other. The tension was back and Ed wondered if he was the cause of it. His tail twitched a bit at that thought. He hadn't thought his being here would be that disturbing. He knew how Hawkeye saw him and he had no problems with that, but now as he watched her look at Mustang he wondered if there wasn't more to it.

Ed stretched and stood up, stepping from Mustang's lap onto the desk. He found a space near the piled folders and curled up there. He watched as Hawkeye came closer.

"Roy, you can't expect him to stay cooped up in here all day," she said in a low voice.

"And remaining at your apartment would be better?" he replied just as softly.

"He could go with Hayate."

Roy shook his head. "He stays with me," he said firmly.

Hawkeye held back a sigh and stared at him for a long moment and then went back to her desk. Ed noticed the stiffness in her back and knew she was not happy. With either of them. He looked at Mustang as the man absently stroked him and then closed his eye, settling into a light doze. The man was more trouble than he was worth sometimes.

* * *

Al discovered that he had a knack for getting the hoops onto the small stands as he stood in front of one of the stalls at the fair. He could calculate the best angle to loft the hoop and the force required to use. He won several small china cats and a doll on a stick that he gave to Noa as soon as he could.

The three of them relaxed as they strode around the tents and stopped occasionally to play or to watch. Al had had few opportunities to be his age over the last years and this was an almost surreal experience for him. Even the last few fairs they had gone to had been taken up by wanting to study fireworks and the mechanics of the various machineries on display. But with Noa here, Alfons wasn't thinking of rocketry and both of them found pleasure in seeing just how often they could make Al smile.

All afternoon they wandered and laughed and ate too much. When evening came and the fireworks did come out, Al and Alfons told Noa more than she wanted to know about them. She laughed and knowing how happy it would make them, told them to take her to see how they worked. They needed no further prompting and dragged her to the fenced area where several men were clearing the powdered chutes.

Al and Alfons got talking and questioning and when they turned around, Noa had disappeared.

* * *

Ed was rather surprised when Havoc came to the apartment door the next morning. Mustang and Hawkeye were being polite to each other and he knew it was partly because of him. Hawkeye frowned as Mustang picked him up as they all went to the door. Ed nestled into the crook of his arm. Much as he hated making Hawkeye upset he wasn't about to feel too guilty about it. He questioned his remaining silent again and had the feeling she'd be even more upset if she knew the truth.

Ed was surprised when they didn't head towards Headquarters. He looked out the window but his viewpoint was not the best as he was too low to see much. He looked speculatively at Mustang and stood up carefully. He reached up to Mustang's right shoulder and sunk his claws into his jacket. With a careful breath, he pushed upwards in a small leap and found himself balanced precariously on Mustang's shoulder. He stepped onto the back of the seat behind Mustang and laid down, his claws sinking into the leather.

"Are you happy now, little one?" Mustang asked, his voice amused and Ed miaowed at him as his tail flicked and caught Mustang lightly on his left ear.

"I am now, bastard." He purred. He could see much more from this new position. He looked around and found nothing familiar. He wasn't sure where they were going and they weren't saying anything. He looked at them all. Mustang was the only one who seemed relaxed but even he was tense. Ed amused himself by flicking his tail at Mustang's ear again.

He froze suddenly as he recognized the street ahead and he began to growl low in his throat before he realised it. Mustang and Hawkeye looked at him but he ignored them. When the car stopped, he slipped down onto the seat and out the door, evading Mustang's attempt to hold him.

They followed him as he entered the ruined church. The musty smell was more noticeable to him now and he felt his fur lifting slightly down the middle of his back. He barely paused at the entrance to the corridor that led down. He could hear them breathing behind him. The darkness wasn't so dark anymore to him and he could see quite clearly as he worked his way to the large staircase. He looked around to see them still following him.

None of them had been back here since that night. Fuery was the only one who had returned and he had been with Rose after she had left the hospital but it hadn't been a thorough search. It had been more a memory exercise.

Ed shivered as he began to go down the staircase. His father and Scar had destroyed cities for that damned Stone. He wondered if he would have been capable of the same thing. Until he had known exactly how the Stone was formed, he had thought himself willing to do anything to get it. Scar had not survived it, but his father had. For the first time he felt sympathy for his dad. He knew he wouldn't have been able to carry the weight of creating something so terrible. It was hard enough to know he had come to that point and then gone no further. He had come so close and had failed. If he considered his inability to take the lives of those prisoners as failure. And Al had not blamed him for it. If he had laid his hands on that array back in Lab Five, would he be here now? Would Al have blamed him?

He picked his way through the streets. There was no-one here anymore. He couldn't smell anything. It had been silent before, now it was heavier. He could hear them breathing behind him. He paused slightly at the wide steps before going up them.

"We'll start at the large room and spread out from there," Mustang said quietly as they entered the building. Ed's ears twitched and he looked around as they went down the passages. He had obviously done some damage here he saw as he looked at the cracks and spikes scattered along the walls and floor. Blood, and not all of it was his he realised, had dried on the floor.

Ed could feel his fur lifting again. He slowed and slipped behind them as they approached the large theatre. He began to feel very jumpy and his tail flicked uneasily from side to side. As they went through the door he stopped and looked in. He could see nothing to make him feel so nervous. The array was harmless. No-one was going to activate it. He noticed that Mustang was not walking on it either.

"There's a huge amount of blood here," Havoc said as he stood in the middle of the array studying the large stain. "More than one person."

"Any signs of anyone leaving that spot?" Mustang asked.

"No. There's a handprint here and some tracks, but I think they might be coming to this spot, not away."

"There are blood splatters here as well," Hawkeye said from one corner of the array. "Something violent took place here. It's almost as if someone was…exploded."

"Like Scar used to do?" Havoc asked.

"No, this is too widespread I think."

Mustang watched as they spread out and began following what tracks there were. He looked around and found the little cat sat in the doorway. The little head was following their movements and then the cat stood and turned and disappeared back the way they had come in. Mustang frowned and followed it.

Ed looked carefully at the walls. He recognized some of the paintings and kept moving silently through the halls. He heard Mustang come up behind him and he stopped and turned around to look up at him.

"What do you want, bastard?" He miaowed quietly.

"Going somewhere, little one?" Mustang asked.

Ed scrunched his nose up and then turned and started walking again. Mustang followed. The little cat seemed to know where he was going and Roy wanted to know as well. Hawkeye was right, he thought. He was getting very attached to the little animal. It just didn't seem right not to have it close by. Yesterday when it had disappeared he had tried not to feel worried and it had not worked. The relief he had felt when it had reappeared had been rather startling to him. With all the changes around him, to his own body and to the military as well, the cat was the only thing that seemed stable. It didn't care about what he now looked like, it didn't treat him with any respect or consideration that he could see, it let him lug it around without complaint and yet it always knew when he was upset or tense and would always respond with a touch or a purr. The cat knew him better than he knew himself.

He stopped as the cat circled one spot on the floor. He hunkered down and looked at the floor. He could see some scratch marks and dirty smudges but there didn't seem to be anything else here. The cat was sniffing dog-like and looking both ways down the hall.

"What is it, little one?" Mustang asked and watched as the cat stared at him for a moment before moving along, looking at the floor as he went.

Ed kept moving. This was where he had woken up. After so long, there was nothing to be smelt and he could only find a single blood drop. He followed it, looking carefully and he found another. It took ten minutes and he found himself in front of a half opened door that led to the large theatre room on the other side of the array. His fur rose again and he couldn't bring himself to enter that room.

He didn't understand how he had gotten from one place to the other. The blood suggested a possible other person, but Ed didn't know who and he didn't think Envy would have done it, if Envy had even still been there. It was annoying having that gap in his memories. He just couldn't fit all the pieces together.

Mustang stood near the cat and watched as it shook slightly. Once again he knew that the little thing had ties to the Elrics. Yet another reason to keep it close to him, he thought. He bent down to pick it up and it curled up into his arms.

"I wonder just who needs who, little one?" he murmured and the small ear twitched. Hawkeye's eyebrow rose as she caught the soft words and she cleared her face before he looked up to see her standing there.

"There's no sign of anyone leaving, Roy. It's as if Edward just disappeared." She paused. "If even half of that blood is his, he wouldn't have gotten very far, Roy."

"I know." Roy frowned. It was a very large stain. He stepped into the room and felt the cat tense in his arms. He looked down at it and saw its ears flattening against its head as he took another step in.

"There should be more here than there is," Hawkeye remarked as she looked around the room. "Even where… where Al was, there are no signs."

"We had to start somewhere, Hawkeye," he said as he looked to where Havoc was entering from one of the other doors.

"There's a library or a study just down there, but it hasn't been used for a while," Havoc said as he came over to them.

"We can have a quick look," Mustang said. "And take anything interesting back." He began to move to the door Havoc had entered and heard the pained sound from the cat in his arms and it began to squirm out of his grasp. He looked at it as it struggled to get away from him and he frowned. It whimpered again and looked up at him, still trying to twist away. Mustang loosened his grip and the cat dropped to the floor. With a twitching tail it moved as fast as it could back to the closest doorway and out of the room. Mustang followed it and found it just outside the door huddled by the wall trembling hard.

Havoc and Hawkeye stared at it as Mustang went down on one knee to pick it up. It hissed but allowed itself to be lifted. He looked at the other two.

"What happened there?" Havoc asked.

"I don't know," Mustang said puzzled. He took a step towards the large room and the cat tensed and growled. He stepped back and the cat relaxed slightly.

"He doesn't want to enter that room," Hawkeye stated as she frowned. "He didn't seem to have a problem last time."

"Yes, but he was …distraught that time," Mustang replied as he recalled the extreme reaction of the cat to the sight of Al on the array. He was a bit fuzzy himself after he had sat down against that pillar and watched the cat. He looked at Havoc. "Is there another way to that room?"  


* * *

Al and Alfons looked around and couldn't see her anywhere. They exchanged puzzled glances. Neither of them recalled her saying she was slipping away for a moment but then both had been completely engrossed with the talks with the fireworks technicians.

Neither was overly worried, but they were a bit surprised that she hadn't said anything. She would have interrupted them, not just gone off like that.

"Shall we split up and look?" Al asked and Alfons frowned as he thought about it.

"Not yet." He decided. "We don't want to lose each other as well."

"She wouldn't have gone too far," Al replied as he kept turning his head around.

There wasn't much of a moon tonight and the stalls were closing up and their lights were being turned off. The shadows were getting larger and darker. They shared a quick frown. It was becoming harder to see. Alfons wondered if they should split up now but didn't want to face the Professor if he lost Al as well. They walked between another tent stall.

"Alfons! Al!" They turned and saw Noa running up to them. Both males let out their breath and as soon as she was close Al ran to her and grabbed her in a hug.

"We were worried, Noa." His voice wavered slightly and she paled as she felt the strength of his fear at losing someone close to him again.

"It's ok, Al. I'm ok. I'm here." She soothed as she patted his back and looked up to meet Alfons' eyes over the teen's shoulder. "We should go home," she said and her eyes begged him not to ask. He nodded reluctantly.

"Okay. The fair's just about all closed now anyway," Alfons replied and they walked on either side of Al who took a long time before he could let go of her hand.

At home, Noa waited until Al had gone to bed and then she sat down and looked at the other two. She moistened her lips and took a deep breath.

"I have a problem," she said slowly. Alfons leant forward in alarm but Hohenheim merely nodded.

"Tell us," he said and let none of his dismay become evident.

"You know what I can do," she said to them and they both nodded. It had taken Noa three hours to convince Alfons that she could indeed read the images in his mind. She had not wanted to let him know about her ability, but once she realised what she was feeling for him and could see it reciprocated in him, she had felt obligated to tell him.

"I used to tell fortunes and read cards." She looked down as she spoke.

"Gypsies have always done that, Noa. There's no shame in using your talent to help you," Hohenheim said.

"To some, it is shameful. But I had to support my sisters and my family. It was important to me that we could become something more than we were seen to be. To be able to move around without being condemned for what we are."

"It is a worthy dream," Hohenheim said quietly, knowing that it was also a nearly impossible one.

She smiled at him. "Yes, I know, an impossible dream. But one we all shared." She paused. "To give my sisters a chance at that dream, I agreed to work for a fair. To travel with them, to tell fortunes. Some of the money would be sent to my family. It was for them that I did this."

Hohenheim saw where she was going and he hid his sigh. Trouble was coming and it had suddenly gotten a lot closer. Alfons was still staring at her with concern and worry.

"They weren't sending any of it back to my family," she said in a low voice and Alfons was out of his chair and kneeling beside her, holding her hands in his. "When I found out, I told them I wouldn't work anymore. But they said I had no choice. They said they would hurt my sisters unless I stayed, and they began to talk of hiring me out so others could use my talent. I stayed until I could get a message out to my family and then I left. I slipped out and I ran."

"And that's when Al and Alfons found you," Hohenheim said and she nodded. "And now they are searching for you," he added with conviction. Alfons stared at the professor and then at Noa.

"Yes," she said quietly. "At the fair tonight, there was an old gypsy there. He had a message from my family. Someone has been there trying to find me. He said that several people have been questioned about me. Nothing official but they are worried." She looked at them.

"We'll look after you," Alfons said at once. "We'll keep you safe. Won't we, Professor?" He turned to look at the Professor and was surprised by the frown there. "Professor?"

"It's not that simple, Alfons," Noa said slowly. "My being here puts you all at risk. While they are still searching, I am safe. But once they find me, you, all of you, are in danger."

"She's right, Alfons," Hohenheim said in a serious tone. "It's easy to say that you will keep someone safe, it's a lot harder to keep those promises. And even if you do succeed in keeping that promise, you will still hurt people and they will hurt you. Danger is not something that only comes with violence, Alfons, and there is more than one type of hurt."

"I don't care," he said firmly. He looked at Noa. "You know how I feel about you. I know I haven't said the words and I know that you know. I love you Noa, and I will protect you." He turned to the Professor who had already raised his hand to stop Alfons from saying anything else.

"I know what you're going to say. That you'd leave here and take her some place far away to make sure of it if I refuse to help you." Hohenheim smiled gently and without mockery at the earnest young man. "I don't intend to refuse but I do want you to realise that what you do now affects both of you and Al as well. He is my son, Alfons. And he has been through much in his short life. My concern is for him and it always will be."

The golden eyes grew hard and Alfons was struck by the determination in the old man. "If Al becomes involved or threatened by this, then I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is kept safe. Do you understand me?" Alfons had never heard the Professor speak with such menace before. It was almost threatening, the amount of steel behind his words.

Alfons and Noa both nodded. They understood. They watched as he stood up and he suddenly looked very old as he left the room. They sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"Alfons..." Noa said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I love you too," she said softly and he looked at her with a small smile. To know was one thing, to actually hear the words was much better. He pulled her from her chair and sat on the floor with her in his lap. He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her lightly.

"I will protect you" he murmured against her lips and stopped her from replying by kissing her again.

* * *

Ed slipped around the corner to the back of the mess and saw Jig sitting on his crate. He miaowed happily and sauntered over to him.

"Hey Goldie. Right on time too." Jig smiled at him as he put down the plate. "No stew today but roast meat instead." Ed miaowed his thanks as he sniffed at the plate. He liked Jig. The man was always happy to see him and always had a plate of something to offer. There were obviously other cats around and Ed had yet to meet them, but it seemed that Jig would feed whatever came past him.

He started on the roast and found it as good as the stew had been. This was the fourth day he had come here. He had found it hard to sneak out the second day after they had returned to the office after leaving the underground city. Mustang had been watching him and he had had to wait until Hawkeye had called him on his distracted state and made him do his paperwork. Ed had escaped quickly. On the third day he had given no sign that he was aware of Fuery following him after he left the office. Fortunately Fuery had had the good sense not to let himself be seen by Jig or Hill. Today Mustang had merely smiled as Ed had strolled casually to the door and looked back to see that dark eye watching him.

Hill appeared after he had cleared half the meat. He liked listening to them talk. All the gossip and rumours seemed to go through the mess and Ed was fascinated by it all. He had learnt more about the military in the last four lunchtimes than he had in four years of service.

"The Comm guys are being tightlipped today," Hill remarked with a knowing tone in his voice.

"Really?" Jig asked and smiled. "I wonder what's going on. No-one else is acting different and they only clam up when it's something important."

"Maybe they found Hakuro."

Jig shrugged. "Possibly, but Cresson's staff seemed normal earlier so I doubt that."

Hill took a drag on cigarette. "Mechanized said that Bister was asking about the availability of some heavy equipment late yesterday."

"How heavy?"

"Armoured heavy." And they stared at each other. Ed looked up and watched them.

"Armoury was saying it had had some strange requisitions lately," Jig said thoughtfully.

"Bister preparing to take on Cresson? Or waiting to see if Hakuro survives?" Hill ruminated.

"Interesting times, Hill. Interesting times."

* * *

"I've collected all my things." he said in a calm voice as he stood in the middle of the room.

"I think you are making a bad decision, Roy," Riza said as she watched him.

"I want to go back to my own place. I'm able to look after myself. I don't need watching over," he replied. "I'm grateful for all you have done Hawkeye, but I can't stay here anymore. This isn't my home."

He saw the brief hurt cross her face and he sighed silently. That was the other reason why he wanted to leave. She wanted to take care of him, she cared for him. And he didn't want either at the moment. He wanted somewhere where he could be alone. Where he didn't have to worry about being seen without his patch or his shirt. He needed to get some space between himself and the world around him, to have the chance to take stock of all the things that had changed for him. He didn't see it as hiding, he saw it as a time of solitude, a time to gather himself. He would still be in the office daily. He wasn't hiding. Going there and never coming out would be hiding and he wasn't doing that.

"If anything happens…."

"I managed on my own for years before this, Hawkeye. Why are you so concerned about me now?" Roy stared at her. "Because I'm crippled? Disabled? I'm not helpless and I don't want to be treated like I am anymore."

"Roy…"

"No, Riza." He sighed. "I know you mean well, I know you …all care, but I need to get out of here. I have things I need to think about and I can't do that here."

Ed watched as Hawkeye took in a deep breath and swallowed whatever it was she was going to say. A look of relief showed on Mustang's face and his shoulders lost some of their tension.

"When are you leaving?"

"Havoc should be here any moment now."

"That's not much notice."

"I did say at the beginning of the week that I would be going."

There was a knock at the door and they both turned.

"Roy. Whatever you need to think about… don't disappoint me," she said without looking at him as she went to the door to let Havoc in.

Ed miaowed and Mustang came over to pick him up. "Time to go home, little one" and Ed could hear an eagerness he had never heard before in the deep voice.  


* * *

Al was the only one who didn't feel as if they were being watched. It took them two days to shake the feelings away and the three of them put it down to the normal instant paranoia you got the moment you knew someone was looking for you.

When Fraulein Eckhart appeared a week later with an offer to fund Alfons' rocketry research, Hohenheim could find no legitimate reasons for them not to accept it. Alfons was there and he was excited and spent an hour telling her exactly what rockets could possibly do. Hohenheim had no opportunity to even get the young man to think twice.

When Noa and Al returned after the Fraulein had left, they were treated to an over-enthusiastic Alfons almost dancing with his excitement. Hohenheim watched as Al was infected by his enthusiasm and frowned slightly.

"Aren't you happy, professor?" Noa asked as she moved to stand beside him. He was the one person she was careful not to come into contact with. The pain he carried inside him still resonated in her at times and the images she had been able to see in his mind had her waking up at nights.

"I'm just a pessimistic old man, Noa," he said lightly and smiled at her. It was only later that she realised she had once seen a smile just like that before. In a church, on the face of the Christ as he was led to the Cross. Sacrifice.  


* * *

Envy and Wrath slipped past the military encampment on the outskirts of where Liore had once stood. The rebuilding was going to take years he thought, as they began trudging across the sands. He wished he knew how to use one of those vehicles. He could have stolen one and that would have made this a lot easier.

It had been a long time since he had been this close to the borders and although he knew there were probably no stones here now, he knew there had been some many years ago. He sighed. All this running around was tedious and boring. He wanted to get this part over and done with. He wanted to be able to start doing things. Envy was not a patient man.

* * *

Roy closed the door behind Havoc and took a deep breath. Finally he was alone. He hadn't realised how much he had missed being in his own space. Being alone at Hawkeye's had been boring because it wasn't his place. Despite their friendship, despite all the time he had known her, he had still felt like a guest. But this was his home.

The air was stale after being closed for so long and he went across the lounge to open the single French door that led to a small balcony. He pulled the curtains back to let light into the room. It was a small room, but it was enough for him. It had all he wanted. A couch and a fireplace and shelves around the walls. A door on one side of the room led to the kitchen and the door on the other side led to his bedroom and bathroom.

The fact his apartment was so small had been one of the reasons why he had been required to stay with Hawkeye. The fact that it was on the third floor was another. Roy was used to a military life. Home was where ever his things were and they were here. This was home.

Ed looked around and explored. It didn't take long. His tray was placed in a small alcove next to the kitchen and his bowls put on the floor. Hawkeye had insisted on their shopping on the way over so there was food in the cooler and pantry.

Ed lay on the large bed and watched as Mustang unpacked his bag. Mustang was definitely more relaxed he thought. He was almost smiling as he put his clothes in drawers and hung his uniform up. A glitter of silver had Ed looking up. Mustang's watch. He'd rarely seen it and he saw it now as it was placed on top of the dresser next to his gloves. He saw Mustang touch the gloves and wondered if he was going to put them on, but the man frowned slightly and then turned away, back to his opened bag. He saw the cat looking at him, a golden splash on the deep blue cover.

"Maybe later, little one," he said lightly and the cat miaowed as it tilted its head at him. He smiled at the little thing and sat down on the bed. The cat padded across to sit beside him. Roy picked him up and held him close for a moment.

"Home."

* * *

Author's Note: A nice long chapter, the longest one for this little one…lol…

Thank you so much for reading and enjoying this. I really am happy to know you like this.

silken :)


	10. Shadows

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Shadows**

Edward rolled over and stretched. Mustang's bed was comfortable. He yawned and kept stretching, curving back as far as his ribs would allow until he felt his legs twitching. The hand that landed over his ribs startled him and he rolled back to find Mustang awake and watching him.

"Get your hand off." Ed miaowed.

"Morning little one," Mustang said, sleepily smiling. The patch was off and he was definitely more relaxed than he had been at Hawkeye's. Mustang ran his hand down Ed's side and he arched against it. When Mustang started stroking him under his chin, his eye half closed and his head stretched out. He started purring. Much as he hated to admit it, Mustang did know the right places and he was unable to avoid responding to them. Ed let himself drift for a bit. The sudden sound of the alarm made him jump slightly and he heard Mustang chuckle.

He opened his eye and grumbled, which became a hiss as Mustang threw the covers back and they landed on him. Ed complained as he tried to push them off and heard Mustang laugh at the moving lump on his bed. When they were pulled from him, he hissed again and stalked closer to him.

Roy sat up, his hand automatically going towards his patch, but the cat hissed and he stopped to watch the little animal come towards him. He smiled. The little cat always had such an attitude to it. He didn't understand why Riza worried about how he felt about the cat. For all its character and sometimes strange behaviour, it was still just a cat.

"I don't know why she makes a fuss about it," he murmured and the little ears flicked. The single eye looked at him and the cat hopped into his blanketed lap. It stretched up, putting its paws on his chest and Roy shivered at the cold feel of the automail paw. The cat stared at him and deliberately reached up and licked its raspy tongue along his jaw. Roy jerked his head back and the cat miaowed, sounding pleased with itself.

"You demon," Roy said as he wiped his chin. With a lsmall noise, it leapt from his lap and onto the bedside table where it picked up his eye patch and disappeared under the bed with it. "Hey!"

Ed snickered to himself. Served the bastard right he thought as he squirmed further back. He sneezed. Dust tickled at his nose and his whiskers twitched. He crawled to the farthest corner and turned around to see Mustang's feet on the floor before the man knelt on the floor to look at him. Ed let the patch fall from his mouth and miaowed in satisfaction.

"Bring it back," Mustang said firmly and Ed sneezed before miaowing again.

"No, bastard. Not yet."

Roy could see the single golden eye gleaming at him from the shadowed corner. This bed was heavy, he wasn't going to be able to move it easily. And the cat was not going to stay there while he did. The little beast had done this deliberately, he was sure of it.

"Come on, little one. Give it back now, come on." He lowered his voice to a more coaxing tone and the cat miaowed what he took to be a refusal because it stayed where it was. He tried again but it merely sneezed at him.

"This is not how I envisioned my first morning at home going," he said sternly and the cat made a small sound. For a moment he thought it had laughed at him. He frowned. "Very well then, you can wait until after my shower before I feed you."

Roy stood up and moved around the room briefly before going into the bathroom while Ed grinned to himself. He waited until he heard the water running before he picked up the patch again and crawled out from under the bed. He sneezed a couple of times. Whoever cleaned here did not do under the bed too often, he thought. He was not pleased to find dust clinging to his fur either. But it had been worth it.

He knew Mustang needed to keep the patch off and taking it like that had ensured that he didn't wear it. Ed knew he would let him have it back before they left the apartment, but he didn't see that Mustang had to wear it when there was no-one around. Ed grinned, plus it also pissed the man off and that was never a wasted exercise.

"Got you." He was lifted suddenly and found himself being held against Mustang's damp side. He miaowed in surprise and looked up. Wet hair dripped onto his face and he scrunched his nose up and tried to wriggle free. "Oh no you don't."

Ed complained and Mustang smiled as he bent down to pick up his patch with his other hand. He looked at it. The black material had picked up the dust. He looked at the little cat tucked under his arm. Dust hung from its whiskers and fur.

Edward looked up at Mustang. His hair dripped, a towel was wrapped around his waist and he had obviously snuck out of his shower to catch Ed off guard. Ed scowled at him and grumbled which made Mustang smile again.

"It's just as well I have another one of these," he said to the little beast. The cat sniffed disdainfully and its tail flicked against his side. Roy walked back into the bathroom. The shower was still running and Ed growled again. Sneaky bastard had used the noise to cover his movements as well. Roy chuckled and rubbed his hand across the cat's head. He put the cat in the basin and reached for a damp cloth and began to wipe the dust from it. Ed squirmed and Roy held him in place.

"This is what you get for being a pest, little one," he said as he swiped the cloth down its back. "Next time, I'll just throw you under the water."

Ed hissed at him and growled as Mustang gave his fur a last wipe and then let him go. Ed stood up and complained loudly. He looked up at Mustang. The man smiled at him before turning away and tossed his towel over Ed before disappearing back into the shower. Ed complained as he worked his way out from under the towel.

He jumped down from the basin and went back into the bedroom. Mustang was in a good mood and Edward felt good too. Making life unpredictable for the bastard was his main goal in life sometimes and it was good that he could still do it and get away with it, better now than he ever had before. He stretched before leaping lightly onto the bed and found Mustang's jacket laying there. He smiled and curled up on it while he waited for the bastard to return.

* * *

Hohenheim sat in the corner of the room and watched as Al and Alfons went over their notes and drawings with Fraulein Eckhart. The three of them sat around the small table and papers and drawings shuffled between them.

Hohenheim didn't understand much of what they were talking about. Unlike Al, he had not taken to physics and the other sciences of this world. He had kept to chemistry and mathematics. Occasionally he had sat in on some of the philosophical debates. But the blonde Fraulein had obviously devoted a good part of her studies to physics as well as the arcane.

She spoke easily of power ratios and forces. She had no trouble with fuel formulae and aerodynamics. She let Alfons speak freely and even managed to follow him when he became almost incoherent. Al spoke little but she listened to him as intently as she listened to Alfons.

Hohenheim kept watch. He pretended to be reading but often he would just watch them. He stared out the window at one point. He could hear them talking and knew they would discuss this for hours. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. Given the unease he couldn't shake, he almost wished Edward was here instead of Al. Somehow he thought his elder son would be more capable of coping with whatever was coming.

Dietlinde Eckhart looked at the old man as he stared at the window and her eyes flickered over Alphonse. She could work with this, she thought. There was more than one way to achieve her goals and she had always believed that you should always have more than one option.

* * *

Whether it was because of his being home or because of the little cat's antics, Roy Mustang was in a good mood when he was driven into the office and began on his paperwork. His relaxed state was obvious and the others responded to it. He went over the search arrangements again and had them making lists and searching out Edward's old reports.

Hawkeye watched him, slightly bemused by the change in him. She only had to threaten him once when he and the cat indulged in a spot of tug of war over a pen. It miaowed at her and curled up near the files on his desk. She found herself almost smiling at it as it closed its eye and dozed. She hadn't forgotten the words she had heard Roy mutter the other day and while she found it strange, she couldn't deny that they both seemed to need the other.

Hawkeye noticed that the cat always seemed to check on Mustang every now and again. And Roy often lifted his head to see what the little thing was doing. The little cat disappeared at lunch time and she saw the two of them exchange a quick look as it left the office. It reappeared an hour later looking pleased with itself and curled up in Mustang's lap for a while before returning to his desk.

Havoc dropped several old files onto Mustang's desk and both Roy and the cat sneezed as the dust rose.

"Where did you get them from, Havoc?" he asked.

"Records." He coughed. "I don't think they even know what they've got there. But they're his reports from the first year."

Ed stared at the dusty files. That first year had not been easy. He had learnt some hard lessons and given his current circumstances, he wasn't sure if he had really learnt from them.

"You didn't think to clean them up a bit first?" Mustang complained as his gloved fingertips went grey.

"Sorry, Boss," Havoc said blithely and carried on. "I heard that Cresson had half his staff down there going through old personnel records this morning."

"Why?" Hawkeye asked as she came up beside him and looked at the files as well.

Havoc shrugged. "Records didn't seem to know. Apparently they didn't say much the whole time they were there."

Ed smirked. He had already heard this rumour from Jig and Hill at lunch. But they had also heard that the reason the files had been searched was to find information on Bister. According to Hill, who heard it from the old man in Security, Cresson had always used blackmail as a form of insurance.

Ed walked across the desk and sat right in front of Mustang and watched as they leafed through his old reports. Mustang idly scratched the golden ears as he perused the file.

"I can't believe how badly he used to write," he murmured as he tried to decipher a sentence.

"I think it was deliberate, Sir," Hawkeye said.

"Oh, I know it was deliberate, Hawkeye. Once you got past the drunken scrawl, it was always a comprehensive report. The little brat just wanted to annoy me." The cat hissed at him and Mustang tweaked its ear as he turned another page. "I don't know if these will be of much help, most of these are from his time here in Central. Concentrate on the ones from East City."

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared if he comes back here, Sir," Hawkeye said. "Just be grateful all files end up here or we'd still be waiting for the ones from East City to arrive."

"I know, Hawkeye. I just wish we had a better lead."

"We've only just started, Roy," she said quietly. "We will find them." Havoc nodded and the little cat miaowed.

* * *

There was something bothering his Dad, Al thought as he walked home. Ever since Fraulein Eckhart had started coming around, there had been something odd in the house. The Fraulein came around every Sunday afternoon and they would go over the plans and drawings.

Alfons and Al would work all week on building their engine and fabricating the craft around it. Changes to one meant changes to the other. What had started as a small engine had suddenly grown and developed into something much bigger and stronger. The Fraulein had organised access to a small machinery workshop and they spent all their time there.

Al looked up at the late afternoon sky. One day it would be possible to fly so high. Would there be a way home up there or was there more hope in Dad's arrays? He had been too busy to work on the arrays with Dad this last week. Maybe he ought to do that tonight. Maybe that's why his Dad seemed a bit odd. Maybe he was feeling left out.

He came crashing to the pavement with a loud "ow" as he tripped over something and fell forward.

"Are you hurt?" A soft voice asked beside him and he shook his head as he managed to get himself back up onto his knees. He looked up and found himself staring into the blue-green eyes of Gracia Hughes.

"No, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going and I tripped and oh… were they your flowers? Have I ruined them? I am sorry, I'll help pick them up …"

She laughed and stopped his babbling with a quick smile and a shake of her head.

"It's alright," she said as she straightened up the tipped over pots. "See, they're fine."

He stood up and brushed himself down and then stood still as she exclaimed over his hands.

"You are bleeding! Come in here, and let me clean it before the dirt infects it."

"Fraulein, please, it is nothing, a mere scrape. Honestly. It doesn't hurt or anything." Al protested but she was insistent and he had to follow as she pulled him into the small store and sat him down near a curtained door. She disappeared and came back with a damp cloth to wipe his hands with.

"Your mother would be worried for you," she said as she cleaned his hand. He watched her with wide eyes. She was just like Mrs Hughes, a bit younger perhaps but she smiled and she was as kind as he remembered her to be. He meekly held his other hand out as she reached to clean it as well.

"Thank you, Fraulein," he said carefully, keeping his voice even. He still remembered how he had acted when he had first seen Maes Hughes' double. He wondered if she knew him. He almost grinned, now that would be perfect he thought. For them to be together here would almost, almost make up for the travesty of what had occurred to them on the other side.

"You're welcome." She smiled and let his hand go. He stood up and fidgeted slightly. He wanted to stay and talk but he didn't want to impose. It was nice to be near someone who reminded him of home and all the reasons why he wanted to return.

"I'm sorry about the flowers, Fraulein…" he paused.

"Just call me Gracia." She smiled.

"Fraulein Gracia. I'm Alphonse Elric." He put his now clean hand out with a wide smile. She even had the same name he thought.

"Nice to meet you, Alphonse." She shook his hand, her eyes widening at the teen's enthusiasm. "But it's getting late, your mother will start worrying." She saw the smile dim slightly.

"I…it's just my …" He stopped, remembering how great a mother she had been. "Yes, I should go." He began to walk towards the front of the store. Gracia noted the slightly shadowed eyes and the incomplete sentence. She followed him.

"You don't have a mother do you?" she queried gently and he stopped and his back was stiff.

"No. She died." His voice was almost gentle before he started walking again.

"If you want to come back and visit, I don't mind," she said, remaining still and she saw his wide eyes when he turned back to face her.

"I…I could help in the shop," he almost asked as he clenched his hands to stop them from shaking.

"I can always use help." She smiled at the eagerness he was trying to hide. "But I'd rather have your company."

"I'd like that," he replied almost shyly.

She walked him to the door. "But you make sure it's alright with your father first," she told him.

"I will." He smiled and waved before he began to run home. She stared after him with a gentle smile on her face. The boy seemed so lonely and there was something about him that she felt drawn to. She wondered how long ago he had lost his mother. There had been a lot of sadness in that simple admission. It can't be easy for him she thought, and if spending a few hours here every week would help, then she was more than happy to help.

She stepped back into the store and the police officer walking past wondered why she was smiling.

* * *

By the end of the first week it became routine for them. Ed would find a way to take the eye patch and hide somewhere. Mustang would look for five minutes then go and shower. Ed would be waiting curled up on his jacket when he got out of the shower. Mustang would then spend a few minutes trying to get cat hair off the jacket. They would eat breakfast and wait for Havoc to appear to drive them to the office.

Once in the office, the little cat would watch while the search was gone over and updates and reports came through, then he would move from couch to lap to desk as he felt like it. He disappeared every lunchtime and always returned an hour later. Mustang worked and although the lack of any news so far was discouraging, they knew it was early days yet. Edward's reports kept them busy, and lists of people and places to go to were phoned through to the others.

The hardest part was waiting, Roy decided on Friday. He looked at the cat dozing on his desk and stroked it lightly. He had hoped that even though it had only been a week that something would have come through. Even if it was a case of mistaken identity. He sighed. Three more weeks. He would find them, he had promised.

More files landed on his desk and he smiled slightly as he looked up at Hawkeye. Since he had moved back to his own place, the tension between them had lessened and he felt easier. She had stopped watching him all the time, although he could still feel her gaze on him occasionally. The office all kept an eye on him, he noticed. There was always one of them nearby.

"Ten o'clock is still suitable, Sir?" she asked quietly as she picked up the few completed files.

"Sure, Hawkeye," he replied. Yesterday she had calmly informed him that he would probably need to replenish his cupboards and pantry by Saturday and that she would take him with her when she went to do her own shopping. He had hesitated, remembering the stares from last time. But she was right, he did have to restock, not that he needed much. And he was going to need to get cat food. Who knew what the little thing would do if he didn't feed it?

He watched her sit down at her desk. She was only trying to help and she was his best friend. Maybe he should buy her lunch tomorrow to say 'thank you' while they were out.

* * *

Noa also noticed the tensions in Hohenheim and after she met Fraulein Eckhart, she had similar feelings of foreboding. She had briefly held the woman's hand and had gone pale. The sharp look in the pale eyes had not fooled her. The concerned words had been belied by the appraisal she had been given. There had been no kindness, only calculation.

She hadn't been able to get a clear image during that touch. But it had been disconcerting. A hunger for something and a willingness to do anything to get it had lain over a deep streak of cruelty. It was those hidden feelings that caused Noa the most worry. She couldn't bring herself to quite believe what the woman was saying.

Alfons and Al seemed oblivious to anything wrong but she had seen the almost resigned look appear in Hohenheim's eyes. It was as if her reaction had confirmed something for him. He had looked at Al and she had seen the pain that had flared before he had hidden it.

She looked at the two youths. She loved one as a brother and the other was fast becoming the holder of her soul. Now she understood Hohenheim's words on a deeper level. Now she knew why she had seen that look upon his face.

To protect something you loved above all else, you would do all you had to and you would give all you could.

* * *

_They walked in lines past him, their hands held out in supplication. Blisters wept and tears were bloody. Their mouths were open and he could hear them cursing him, begging him, pleading with him. Smoke and fire burned through him with every breath he took and he could smell the taint of their flesh. He tried to lift his hands, he tried to step back, he tried to speak. Nothing happened. He was caught and he could do nothing but watch as they kept coming, circling him, closer and closer. He tried again to lift his hands to push them away but found his fingers snapping instead. Fire and flame burst around him and they screamed at him and kept moving closer. He snapped again and their eyes were filled with his flames. They came closer and his fingers wouldn't stop snapping…_

Ed woke to hear low muttering coming from Mustang and he rolled over. The man was frowning in his sleep and sweat was forming on his face. Ed knew a lot about nightmares, he had had more than his share of them. Mustang was having one now and he watched as Mustang began to move restlessly. Ed was startled when Mustang surged upwards, a hoarse cry of _"No!"_ echoing around the room.

Roy sat bolt upright in his bed, breathing hard and shaking like a leaf. Sweat was on his forehead and his heart was pounding. His eye was wide as he stared unseeing across his bedroom. He tried to draw breath and found his ribs aching as they strained against the tense muscles. His hands were clenched tight in the bed sheets and it took him a moment to realise that the rasping sobs he could hear were coming from his own mouth.

The little cat insinuated itself into his lap and pressed against his chest, purring as he felt his heart still racing. He bent forward slightly, his knees rising and trapping it there as he kept shaking. He blinked and blinked trying to clear the visions from his eye. His hands tried to relax their death-grip on the sheets but he couldn't get his fingers to move.

It took him a while before he could take a breath that didn't feel as if his ribs would break. His fingers loosened and he had to watch them as they came up to make sure they didn't begin snapping. His head dropped forward and he took another breath. He thrust his fingers into his hair and rested his head in his hands.

The little cat was still purring and he listened to it as he calmed slightly. It stretched upwards, leaning against his chest and the little head rubbed against his jaw. Ed could feel Mustang's distress and wondered what sort of things haunted his dreams. It was one thing to know of terrible things, it was another to relive them in the night. It was strange Ed thought. He had known of the terrible things Mustang had done, and yet he hadn't considered that they would still haunt the man to this extent.

And it was obvious that time had not really taken away the pain of those memories. Ed shivered and pressed closer. Because he had always seen Mustang as a bastard for most of the time he had known him, Ed had never really considered the man's humanity. Not until those few moments in the car that day. And now he was aware of it again.

Their game with the patch had made sure Mustang followed the doctor's orders and Ed wondered why he had this growing need to look after him. Was he using Mustang as a substitute for Al, or was he genuinely interested in seeing him get better? Did he really want the bastard back? He might not, but he knew the rest of them did. And much as he hated to admit it, it just wasn't the same when he was withdrawn. Edward found that he missed the old Mustang.

He pushed his head against Mustang's jaw and felt the shaking lessening. He kept purring and heard the harsh breathing ease. When Mustang straightened up, he was not completely surprised when Mustang held him close with one arm and threw the covers back with the other. He expected the man to head to the bathroom but Mustang went to the lounge and to one of the shelves. There was a bottle and glass tucked into a corner and Mustang opened the bottle and poured one-handed, before taking the cat and his drink to the couch.

Roy Mustang sat there, holding onto them both until the sun came up.

* * *

When Roy came to the door, Riza Hawkeye noticed the faint shadow below his eye. He was casually dressed and he waved her in with a brief smile. She entered and found the apartment looking much as it had last week. There was an empty glass on the small table and a couple of books beside it.

"Let me just get my jacket," he said as he went into his room. She watched and frowned slightly. He looked almost relaxed in his shirt and casual slacks but his shoulders looked a bit tight. A muffled curse had her eyebrows lifting, and the little cat came running from the bedroom. It saw her standing there and skirted around her and leapt onto the couch.

She could hear a rhythmic noise, almost a thumping, from the bedroom and she looked at the little cat. It looked at her and miaowed and she almost thought it smiled at her, before its eye narrowed and it miaowed again, almost demandingly. She tilted her head as it miaowed and kept staring at her as if trying to tell her something.

Roy reappeared and the cat looked at him and then back at her and almost hissed at her. She frowned. The little animal miaowed again and its tail flicked as he again looked from her to Roy and back again.

"Little beast. You do that on purpose don't you?" he asked as he came across and ran a hand over the little golden head. Riza looked at him. "He seems to be able drop fur on command. Especially on my jackets."

She smiled and the little cat purred in a smug manner. That explained the noise earlier she thought. He had been trying to brush the cat hair from his jacket. She could still see some on the front of the dark material.

"Do you have a brush?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, but it never gets them all," he replied.

"We can get a better one while we shop," she said and both Roy and the cat blinked at her. The cat looked intently at her again before it curled up on the couch. Ed had already decided he wasn't going along for this outing. After last night he thought Mustang needed to get out and he didn't think his presence would be particularly helpful this time. Hawkeye was sharp, he knew she'd watch out for him and maybe he would talk to her.

Talking to a cat might be some help but it wasn't the same as talking to another person. Ed had always talked things over with Al. He wondered who Mustang had talked with and apart from Maes Hughes, he couldn't think of anyone closer to him than Hawkeye.

Roy felt a bit strange not taking the little cat with him, but it seemed content to stay here and he knew that although Riza was more comfortable with the cat now, she wouldn't appreciate it coming with them again. After last night he was almost looking forward to going out, to distracting his mind from the images that kept flitting in front of his eye.

"I don't know what I need," he said with a frown.

"I have a list." She smiled at the way his eye opened and the almost horrified look that came over his face as they left the apartment.

* * *

Fraulein Gracia looked up at the gentle clearing of a throat and found Alphonse smiling at her accompanied by a tall man with faded gold eyes. She smiled back at Al and saw the resemblance between the two of them.

"Fraulein Gracia?" The older man queried and there was an easy charm to his smile as he held his hand out.

"Yes. You must be Alphonse's father." She put her hand in his and he bowed over it slightly.

"Yes. My son told me all about you when he came home last week. I wanted to thank you for your help. My apologies for having taken so long before coming to see you."

"It was nothing, Herr Elric. I was glad to be of help."

"Please, my name is Hohenheim." He smiled. "Al has told me that you are willing to have him here to help as well, Fraulein."

"I would be delighted to have him here." She spoke simply and he nodded. Al had told him of both Gracias and Hohenheim had readily agreed to Al's request to come here. It gave him another tie to this world should the arrays never be completed, and it also put a bit more distance between his son and Fraulein Eckhart.

He smiled at the lovely woman again as they arranged for times when Al could come. Al sat and listened and couldn't stop smiling. Hohenheim then listened as the Fraulein outlined what Al could help her with. Hohenheim was struck by guilt again, knowing that he had failed his boys as they had grown up. He looked at Al and the simple happiness he was radiating. But not this time, this time he would not let his son down.

He was still smiling as he bowed over her hand again in farewell as they left the shop. He failed to see the frown on the face of the policeman that passed as he did so.

* * *

Roy Mustang felt the stares again, but he tried and largely succeeded in ignoring them. He was becoming more accustomed to seeing his own patched face in the mirror or on reflective surfaces. And a week at work where he had been treated as normal had helped lessen some of his self-consciousness.

He wondered what difference being in uniform would have had as they moved around the markets. If he had been in uniform would they have stared as much, or less? Most of the questions in their eyes would have been answered straightaway. Would there have been judgment instead? Children stared more than adults did and contrary to popular belief, he found he preferred the almost furtive glances from adults. The wide innocent eyes staring at him reminded him too much of the past and he had to keep turning away from them.

He missed the little cat and earned a frown from Riza when he bought a small toy mouse for it. Although he laughed when they had to go back and get the toy bone for Hayate. He had never been able to make her blush before.

"Training accessory?" He queried again as they sat at the small café.

"For retrieval purposes, Roy," she said in a stiff voice.

"Why not just call it a toy, Riza?" he asked as he opened the menu.

She stared at him and then picked up her own menu. There was no answer to that question that wasn't going to sound completely silly and make her look completely uptight. She sighed.

"Fine, it is a toy, Roy," she replied with a small smile and he gave her a friendly smirk over the top of his menu. She shook her head at him and turned as the waitress came up to them.

Roy spoke before she could and ordered lunch for them both in a brisk manner. He kept a distance she noted, between himself and the waitress. Riza saw the quick glance the girl gave to his face before she began writing down their order. Roy saw it too and she noticed the small tightening of his forehead before he continued on. She was made aware again that he really was not that accepting of his scars yet. That he was still uncomfortable with his looking different. She frowned slightly. She was going to have to talk to him she thought. There had to be some way to make him see that although he may have changed physically, he was still Roy Mustang. The man she had promised to always follow.

* * *

It was past midnight as Hohenheim rubbed at his tired eyes. The papers on his desk mocked him. The lines and angles seemed to point at him and his failure. There was something missing, something he just couldn't see that would make it complete.

He was so close to making it work given the constraints of the energy flows and the inability of alchemy to work on this side of the Gate. He had found a way to draw energy through to allow the alchemic reaction to activate but it didn't have the strength to support the array he had planned. He had drawn another array but that also couldn't bring in enough energy. He had tried linking the two and had discarded that when he had calculated the backlash. Combining them into one array had helped a little bit but it was still missing something.

He sighed and pulled a clean sheet of paper towards him. He was going to find it. There had to be a way and he was going to find it.

* * *

Edward looked at the mouse and then at Mustang.

"You have got to be fucking joking," he miaowed in a disgusted tone. Mustang dangled it in front of him and Ed felt his claws twitch despite his firm mental command. Ed sniffed and uncurled himself from the couch. He hissed at the man and then stalked off to the bedroom.

Riza laughed. "I don't think he likes it, Roy."

"I wonder why. It seems realistic enough," he said, slightly blankly.

"It's not a real mouse, Roy. And it doesn't move. How will it appeal to him?"

"None of those reasons stop him from running off with my patch every morning," he said as he put the mouse on the table and carried the rest of the shopping to his kitchen. He blinked as he realised what he had just said. He had never been thought to speak so casually about it. He wondered whether it was because he was home now or because he was comfortable with her. He hadn't felt this easy when he had been at her flat, and he had enjoyed the time they had spent together today.

He frowned. He looked across at her and saw she was looking at one of the bookshelves. He had known her a long time. After Maes she was his closest friend. Why was it hard to talk to her now, he wondered. She looked up and saw him watching her and smiled. And that was why it was hard, he thought. She was a friend, they were his friends and he had made promises to them all. Promises he had failed to keep. Until he could make his words mean something again, until he found a way to redeem his failure, until he could ensure their safety, he would keep his distance.

He smiled back at her and she wondered why she suddenly felt worried.

* * *

Al liked helping Fraulein Gracia and he went there often. Especially when Alfons and Noa went out on their own and now his dad had become strangely reticent to share the arrays with him.

He began to learn about the different plants and flowers. She learnt that when it came to calculating the best formula for fertilizer, Al was much better than she was. Together they found a place for the two of them. It was peaceful and it allowed Al to feel as if he was a normal fifteen year old boy. Although she was not old enough to be his mother, she had that aura he remembered and he loved it.

Gracia had been running the store on her own since her Father's death in the war and the joy of being able to work beside someone again was the gift Al gave to her. Sometimes it seemed as if he was seeing someone else when he looked at her but she never mentioned it and he was always smiling.

Hohenheim called around every week to make sure Al had been behaving himself and for the last two weeks he had accepted her offer of coffee and the three of them had sat and talked for nearly an hour before they had left. There was a sense of loneliness about the pair of them she thought. They were very close and yet it appeared as if they were both missing something that would complete them.

She pondered on it as she watched them leave. She waved and smiled as Al turned back to wave before they turned the corner. She turned and nearly bumped into the police officer she had seen several times.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, staring at the yellowy-green eyes behind his glasses.

"M… my apologies, Fraulein," he stammered, blushing as he gave her a quick bow and hurriedly walked away.

She stared after him. _What interesting eyes he has_, she thought.

* * *

By the end of the second week, Roy Mustang was getting frustrated. There had been no sightings at all. Edward and Alphonse had disappeared into thin air.

He stood in front of the map and glared at it. Lists and papers were scattered around it. Falman and Armstrong had been running all over the Eastern Districts and he could hear the tiredness in their voices when they called in.

Winry Rockbell and Schieska had begun spreading out further through the South and their voices were becoming just as tired. Sergeant Brosh and Second Lieutenant Ross had found it easier than the others. Edward and Al had never come this way, so they weren't subjected to the stories and tales that the others were. But they were getting tired too.

Everyone knew they still had two weeks to go, everyone was determined to keep going. They just wanted a tiny piece of hope to keep them going.

Edward watched and stayed silent. He kept a closer eye on Mustang. Twice now the man had woken from nightmares that sent him out to the couch, clutching cat and glass as if to keep the demons at bay.

It didn't help that things were becoming tenser in Central. Ed had heard the gossip at the mess door become darker and General Bister had left to go North on an inspection tour that Jig and Hill had both scoffed at. General Ashlen had called in to see how the search was going and had seemed genuinely interested and had offered his help. General Cresson had also called through and had merely reminded Mustang of his deadline.

Ed walked into the office after Friday lunch and found Havoc and Hawkeye staring at Mustang.

"You can't be serious, Boss?" Havoc asked in disbelief.

Yes, I am," Mustang replied and Ed looked from one to the other curiously. They both sounded rather stunned but there was something else in Mustang's eye. Hawkeye's face was also showing signs of the same startlement and that was unheard of. Ed sauntered over to Mustang and leapt into his lap. A hand automatically ran across his ears and Ed sat there wanting to know what was going on.

"Perhaps you heard him wrong, Sir," Hawkeye stated as calmly as she could.

"No, Riza." Mustang stared at her. "He wants to leave. As soon as the search is over."

Havoc ran his hand through his hair and paced forwards and backward. "Armstrongs don't quit, they go on forever," he protested. "All that tradition. How can he turn away from that?"

Ed blinked. Major Alex Louis 'military service is a family tradition' Armstrong was going to leave?

"He says he's having difficulties with what's happening in Liore, Jean. You know how easily he becomes sentimental and let's be honest, the military did not do itself any favours with what happened there," Mustang said clearly and they stared at him. Ed miaowed in agreement. Liore had been a mistake from the start. That stupid fake priest and his fake ring. And then returning there and finding that circle. Because of that damned Grand Arcanum he was here and Al was wandering around with Envy.

"Major Armstrong may change his mind," Hawkeye said. "Being upset, he's reacting without thinking it through. Once he sits down and considers his actions, he'll probably change his mind again."

"He sounded very determined on the phone, Hawkeye," Mustang remarked. And Mustang could not find a reason to condemn the man for his decision. It was another sign that he had failed to keep his promise. The little cat miaowed and he stroked it. His lip curled slightly. "We have another problem," he said quietly. They looked at him and Ed miaowed.

"There's a double click on the phone line." He didn't say anything else but Havoc and Hawkeye understood.

"I'll get Fuery," Havoc said and left the room.

"Roy?" Hawkeye queried.

"Find a way to let the others know, Riza. And from now on, any sightings are to be mistaken identities." He looked at her and waited. She stared back at him and nodded.

"Understood, Sir."

Edward frowned and batted his head against Mustang's fingers. He didn't know what was going on and he wanted to know. He miaowed insistently and Mustang stroked around his ears. Ed hissed slightly.

"I almost hope they don't reappear now," Mustang murmured.

* * *

Noa smiled at Fraulein Gracia as she paid for the flowers. Al had introduced them the other week and the two of them had spoken twice since. Noa had appreciated having another woman to talk to after having only men around and Gracia had been her usual friendly self.

The two women stood in the doorway and chatted for a time before Noa said goodbye and began to walk home. She didn't see the car that followed her part of the way or the man that kept watch until she entered the house.

* * *

_They were staring at him. Red eyes full of flames. They watched as he turned around trying to find a gap to escape through. He snapped and flames encircled him keeping them away, blocking out their accusing faces. He breathed in and heat scorched his lungs, his eyes watering as he fell to his knees._

_He coughed as another breath burnt through him and blood trickled from his lips. His eyes focused on the red drops on the ground in front of him. Red, everything was red. The blood, the flames, their eyes. The array on the back of his gloves._

_He looked up and saw them walk through the flames, coming closer again. His eyes burned as he stared at them, his hand lifting automatically. The red array appeared before his eyes and he paused. Why was he bothering? They never died, they were already dead. He was the only one still breathing. He was the only one still feeling._

_His hand shook and his eyes blurred. There was something wrong here and he couldn't remember what it was. Something… he had something…he had lost something…He shook his head, they had come closer while he was distracted._

_He wasn't about to give in. Not yet. Not while he still had things to do. He couldn't let them take him. He snapped._

Ed woke up as the cry echoed around the room and he rolled over to find the man tangled in the sheets and trying to free himself. He padded up near the sweating white face and rubbed his head against Mustang's. He curled in the crook of the man's neck and purred as he waited for him to wake up properly. He watched as Mustang twisted again and the sheets slipped around him. His breathing became rougher and his eye opened and Ed heard the curse that left Mustang as he rolled over and upwards.

Ed moved and slipped onto Mustang's lap and leant against him, purring. It was all he could do. He looked up and watched as Mustang ran his fingers over his empty eye socket, tracing the scars.

"Eyes," he mumbled. "I had eyes." He shivered as they appeared in front of him again and he saw them with his _eyes_.

Ed never knew if the drop that fell on his head was sweat or a tear.

* * *

Envy sighed and heaved Wrath into a more comfortable position over his shoulder. A week to get here and a week to search. And nothing much to show for it. A few stones and a depressed Wrath.

Why the young Sin had all these emotional responses, Envy didn't know. But he was getting very tired of them. It would be easier he thought, if Wrath just stayed angry, but he didn't. He was almost human but it was an erratic travesty of humanity. As if all the emotions had been put there with nothing to frame them.

This latest episode had been triggered by Envy's decision to return. Wrath had not wanted to come back, but Envy had threatened and finally hit him enough to make him amenable. He had begun sulking and refusing to move until he felt like it. Envy had merely sighed and tossed him over his shoulder.

He was going to return and Wrath was coming too. He didn't care how long it took, he was going to find a way to return to what he had been.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you. The cat has been following me around for a while now and insisted on being fed again.

I am always happy to know you enjoy this one. I always have fun playing with him.

And with this updated and the Rumour as well, I can go back to working on Echoes and dragon...lol

silken :)


	11. Death

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Death**

Edward stretched and rolled over in Mustang's lap. He looked up and saw the man still staring across the room. He looked at the small table beside the couch. The glass was empty. Edward stretched again, before he carefully stood up and reached his forepaws up to Mustang's right shoulder. He leant against him, stretched upwards, and miaowed softly. There was no response.

Ed frowned and miaowed louder, trying to slide himself across to bat his head against Mustang's chin. He felt the shudder that went through the man beneath him and his ears twitched at the suddenly loud breathing. Ed miaowed a third time and the single eye blinked and a shaky hand came up to curl around him, holding him in place against his chest.

"Little one." Mustang's voice was rough and he closed his eye, his head dropping down and Ed slid his head against the side of Mustang's face. "I had eyes." Ed could feel him shaking slightly and purred softly.

He knew those dreams well. They started off so well, so perfect and then became a nightmare that you had to fight to get free from. He had had them. Dreams of normal, human, flesh legs and arms. Being able to feel and touch, to run and swim. They were so real, it always felt so real until you remembered. Until you realised that something was wrong. And it took a while before you realised exactly why it was wrong. They weren't the worse dreams he had ever had, but they were always among the most unsettling ones.

It had always taken a while to recover from them and Mustang was no exception. He had spent the better part of the night sitting here trying to avoid falling back into sleep. Trying to forget what it had felt like to see things properly again. Trying to forget exactly what he had seen with that perfect eyesight.

The little cat pressed against him as it purred and Roy sighed, relaxing slightly into the couch. His head felt heavy and a glance at the clock told him he was going to have to get ready for the office in an hour. He ran his hand down the cat's back lightly and it miaowed, the little head falling back slightly to look at him.

"What am I going to do, little one?" he asked and it miaowed at him again, tilting its head to the side. Roy put his hands around the small animal and pulled it away to sit it in his lap, his hands around its ribs and its forelegs sticking out in front of it. Ed did not like this feeling of being unable to move his front legs and fidgeted, slipping further down through Mustang's hands. He complained and Roy nearly smiled before he adjusted his hands and Ed could sit properly. He looked up at him and hissed slightly, but he settled against the loose fingers that were resting at his back.

"Two weeks. Just two more weeks." Ed tilted his head and miaowed. Roy stared at the single golden eye. It would probably look silly to anyone else he thought, but talking to the little cat helped distract him from images still lurking in his mind. And here was the only place he could talk freely, without worrying about what his staff would think. "We have to find them. Before anyone else does." The little ears flickered and it appeared to wait patiently for him to keep talking as it stared right back at him.

"I wonder what trouble Ed has gotten himself into. I hope he stays hidden. Whoever is tapping the phone lines obviously wants to know as well. He's never looked before rushing into things before, I hope he has more sense this time." Roy said as his forehead creased. Ed miaowed. At least now he understood some of Mustang's comments from yesterday.

Phone lines tapped? Who would do that? Someone who didn't trust Mustang? But that was stupid. Bastard though he was, even Ed knew Mustang kept his word. Just a precaution perhaps, but that still implied a measure of mistrust. And who would feel the need to watch him and his staff? Did it have anything to do with their search for him or was it directed more at Mustang? Ed frowned.

Given what he had heard at the mess door, Ed was fairly certain that if anyone was keeping tabs on what was going on, it would be General Cresson. He seemed to be the one making the most moves lately. And he'd want to know what Mustang was doing. Ed growled. He didn't want Cresson to find his brother. Considering what his brother was now, Ed was not prepared for anyone in the military but himself to know about it.

And Ed didn't think Envy would come forward easily either. He was rather curious as to where Envy was. He and Al had completely disappeared and that could only mean trouble. He hoped that Al was alright, that Envy hadn't done anything to him. He wished he knew what Envy was planning. If he had an inkling of what that psychotic bastard was planning, there was a chance he could find a way to get Mustang to move. But with someone listening in, that wasn't going to be so easy anymore. Ed grumbled. Things were getting complicated and he hated complicated things.

Roy watched the little cat. Its ears and tail flickered and twitched as it tilted its head and almost frowned. What was the thing thinking about, he wondered. He smiled as it growled at something only it could see. It made a disgruntled sound and he ran his fingers down its back to sooth it. The golden eye looked up at him and it miaowed at him.

"Don't worry little one. There's always a way. Trust me." Roy said gently and the cat miaowed again, stepping forward to rise up again on its hind legs. The small head rubbed against the side of his face. He did trust him, he was the only one he could trust at the moment and he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"Promise," Roy whispered as he felt the soft fur and his hand settled on the cat's back again.

"And I'll hold you to that, bastard," Ed replied with a low purr.

* * *

Al helped Gracia re-pot another azalea, being careful as always of the root system as he scooped the earth around it. He felt a sense of satisfaction within himself every time he did this. Nurturing was part of his nature, although he had never realised that plants could be included in that. He had looked after his brother, he had tried to adopt cats but never plants before. He had known the Tringhams briefly and had seen the way Fletcher had loved plants but he had never considered that he would see them in a similar light. He wondered how much was due to the woman who worked beside him.

Fraulein Gracia was fast becoming very important to him. He loved working with her and he loved her. Like the mother he had lost, she was someone he could confide in when he felt too lonely, or run to when he felt Alfons was neglecting him for Noa. He didn't like not being able to tell her exactly where he had come from or why his brother was unable to contact them. But he could and did talk about everything else with her.

Gracia heard of the problems they had with the fuel lines, she heard about the near-argument Alfons and Noa had had when Alfons forgot her birthday and she heard Al's disgruntlement at having grown another two inches and of having to have some of Alfon's clothes altered to fit him. She smiled as he included her in everything he did. If she realised he didn't tell her about some things, she kept that to herself and never asked.

Gracia found herself smiling more often. Knowing Al was going to be here made her day seem lighter and she often baked in the morning so she could share it with him and give him something to take home to the others. Once a week his father came round and she enjoyed having someone adult to converse with. She had been lonely, because a single woman running her own shop was not socially acceptable behaviour, and although everyone would buy from her and make idle small talk as they did, they wouldn't include her in their social circles.

Al had done more for her than he realised and he never knew just how thankful she was for his company. And because she was grateful she didn't ask him of his mother or his brother. She knew that if he wanted to talk he would, and she would listen, but until then she was content to listen to everything else he told her.

"He's looking at you again." Al's voice broke through her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Al. What was that?"

"I said that he's looking again." Al repeated and she stared at him, confusion on her face.

"Who is?"

"That policeman." And he had a pleased smile that made her even more confused. She looked up and briefly met the gaze of the man with the yellowy-green eyes just before he suddenly moved and disappeared from view. She turned her head slightly but he had obviously walked further past the window and she nearly took a step to go and see. Al was watching her and she felt her cheeks warm.

"He was just passing," she said as calmly as she could.

Al nodded. "Of course." But the small smile that curved his mouth and the gleam in his eye belied his agreement. As did his next words. "He passes every day."

"It's part of his patrol," she said and wondered why she was feeling defensive.

"I think he likes you," Al said casually as he turned away for another pot and she stared at him, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"What?"

Al looked at her and smiled. "He likes you. Every time I've seen him go past, he always looks in here. I think he likes you."

"I'm sure you're imagining things, Al," Gracia said as her face went pink.

Al just smiled and she blushed further.

* * *

Roy Mustang spent the day trying not to think of the listeners on the phone. He had never been subjected to this sort of surveillance before, although he had been watched before and he knew to act as if nothing had changed. The others were also aware of it and they exchanged looks amongst themselves every time the phone rang, or whenever they had to use it. But they too knew how to be discreet and they gave no sign of noticing anything either. Fuery spent the morning studying several schematics and then disappeared with Havoc.

Ed curled up on Mustang's desk in his usual spot until lunchtime. He could see the shadow beneath the dark eye and wondered if Mustang was still seeing that nightmare somewhere in the back of his mind. When he stretched and began to uncurl himself, he deliberately pushed his forepaws across the open file and flicked his tail across Mustang's wrist. The papers moved and he slid with them, going low onto his belly and Mustang's automatic grab for his tail missed. Ed snickered and flicked his tail again.

Roy watched as the little animal began to straighten up and reached for the tail but he missed again as a golden eye looked at him and the tail whipped away from his fingers. He could feel a smile beginning and his eye narrowed. They stared at each other, neither moving for the longest moment, and then the tail twitched and gloved fingers grabbed. And missed. The staring match began again. Four times the fingers missed. On the fifth grab, Roy smirked and the cat miaowed as his tail was caught. He let go as the cat pulled it back and it miaowed at him again.

Ed stood up and walked across and lifted himself up to rub his head against Mustang's chin and Roy's hand ran lightly along his back. He looked up into the single eye, the shadows weren't as noticeable and his ears flickered as he slipped down to Mustang's lap and then to the floor. He gave him a last look as he slipped from the room to go to the mess for lunch.

Hawkeye watched in silence. She had noticed the shadows and seen a pallor beyond Roy's natural paleness in his face. When the little cat had started it's antics she had nearly drawn her gun to call Roy's attention back to the matters at hand, but she had seen the lightening of his face and she had stayed quiet. The longer they had played, the lighter his face had become and when it was over, she had nearly smiled at seeing the familiar smirk back.

The interaction between them puzzled her. She hadn't forgotten Roy's words of last week and she could see it proven again. But how did the cat know when Roy needed to be brought out of whatever shadow he was in? Dogs, she knew were sensitive to needs, Hayate was. She had never considered cats to be the same. But this little cat seemed to be more perceptive than even Hayate. Whether it was because they were together all of the time or not, she didn't know. It rarely left his side and Roy was the only one it seemed to trust completely.

Roy was settling into his paperwork again and there was almost a smile curving his lips. Why could that little cat ease him and she couldn't?

* * *

"Hey Goldie. You're looking good today." Jig greeted him with his usual happy manner as Ed sauntered around the corner of the mess, his nose already filled with the scents of the stew. Ed miaowed happily in reply. He always enjoyed coming here. It got him away from the office and it helped ease the need to wander that he had lately.

It had been a long time since he had stayed for so long in one place and he had never had to sit back and be this patient before either. Even if he had been human, he knew he could've done nothing more than what was already happening. He would've gone running all over the countryside searching, and with his luck, he would've been in the west when Al was found in the east, or north when he was south. And Mustang would never have confided in him as easily as he did to him now he was in this feline form. They would've argued endlessly and everything would have been jeopardised.

Ed picked at the stew, turning his head to chew on the large chunks of meat that floated in the rich gravy. He knew he usually got halfway through the plate before Hill appeared, so he was surprised when the nearly bald man appeared barely three mouthfuls into his lunch.

Hill leant against the wall and pulled out his usual cigarette from his pocket, lighting and taking a long drag of it before he said anything.

"Comm's gone quiet again."

Jig looked up at him and frowned. "They were chatty enough yesterday, although they weren't all there for breakfast."

"Well something has closed their mouths today. And they're all in a bunch."

"Ah, safety in numbers? Someone's watching them then."

"Yep." Hill exhaled sharply. "There's eyes everywhere lately. Cresson's feeling a bit nervy I reckon."

Jig snorted. "The man's trying to take over the military, I guess I'd be nervy too if I was him."

Hill laughed suddenly. "Did you hear what happened to Bister?"

"No. Last I heard he was up North." Jig looked at Hill expectantly.

"You remember how he was getting that mechanised stuff." Jig nodded and Hill grinned. "Well, someone got to them at the second depot. They're not going anywhere now." Jig's eyes went wide and a small smirk graced his face.

"What happened to them? Who did it?"

Hill shrugged. "No-one knows, but they've been disabled and can't move. So Bister has to take Cresson on without them now."

"Cresson still has the numbers."

"Bister has to choose."

There was silence for awhile and Ed finished licking the plate clean. He looked up at them and Jig leant forward to run his thick fingers across the small head. "You got it easy, Goldie. A bit of stew and all your worries are gone." He turned back to Hill, his voice sombre. "You know, Bister's going to go down regardless of how he decides."

"I know." Hill sighed. "And Cresson'll make sure he doesn't go alone either."

Ed looked from one to the other, tilting his head as he considered the implications of their words. He nearly laughed at Jig's remark. If only stew _could_ banish all his worries. It would make things a lot easier. Because if Cresson did succeed in taking Bister out, he would be looking around for other threats. And Mustang could be considered as one of them. And the phone tapping suggested that someone had already seen that angle and was taking steps, just in case.

When Ed returned to the office, he curled up on Mustang's lap instead of the couch.

* * *

Envy sighed again and looked at Wrath.

"If I thought you would stay dead, I'd kill you." He grumbled as he sat down beside the dark haired youth.

"Why don't you just leave me here? You know you want to," Wrath sneered at him as he rolled over to face the other way.

"Because you can do things I can't. How many times do I have to say that?"

"This is pointless," Wrath said bluntly and turned around. "I hate you, I hate being here. Everything I had has been taken from me and you can't bring any of it back."

"Little shit! Of course it's all been taken from you. You let it get taken because you didn't have the sense at the time to realise what the little metal bastard could do. And you still don't have any sense. You don't want to do anything but feel sorry for yourself. Pathetic waste of materials, that's all you are." Envy sneered right back at him.

"At least I had a mother! Someone who loved me!"

"And you refused her and latched on to someone else's. Oh, and then, because of you, she was destroyed." Envy smirked at him and Wrath's eyes narrowed.

"That was not my fault!"

"It was." Envy stated calmly and watched the violet eyes glare madly at him. He sighed. Getting Wrath worked up was so easy and it was the only entertainment he had at the moment. But he didn't want to be entertained. He wanted things to be how they were. He wanted to be able to change his shape again. He wanted to get back everything that bastard half-brother had cost him. It was unnerving to be locked into one form, to always see the same bland face every time. There had to be a way to shift back. He wouldn't feel right until he did.

Wrath began to bring his hand down to the ground and Envy's hand shot across to grab the thin wrist.

"Don't even think of it, Wrath," he threatened as Wrath tried to pull his arm free from the tight grip Envy was maintaining. Envy did not want to spend the next hour twitching because Wrath had transmuted himself into the ground again. "I'll have to hit you again if you do that, and I really don't have the energy right now."

Wrath pulled back harder. "Let me go!" His voice rose and his eyes went wide. Envy blinked as he felt it and tried to open his fingers. But it was too late. Wrath's head went back and he screamed as the alchemic reaction sparked. Envy was caught as Wrath sank into the ground and his tattoo burned as the alchemy went straight through him.

* * *

Ed watched as Mustang turned the pages too fast to be actually reading them. He had been doing that for the last hour and Ed wondered how long he could keep up this façade. The clock struck eleven and he watched as Mustang frowned and turned another page. The man didn't want to go to bed, he didn't want to sleep. And Ed knew it. He was afraid of the dreams returning.

The problem was, Ed also knew, that you couldn't stop them no matter how hard you tried, they would always manage to get to you eventually. And the more you tried to avoid them, the worse they became. He stretched on the couch and wondered how he could get Mustang to go to bed. He rolled over, still thinking and nearly fell off the couch.

He swore as his claws gripped into the cushion and he started to pull himself away from the edge. A chuckle had him looking up to meet the single dark eye and he hissed at the man in his embarrassment. Mustang reached over, sliding a hand underneath his ribs, lifting him up when the claws retracted from the seat and bringing him into his lap.

"Silly little thing," Mustang said smiling as the animal glared at him.

"Stupid bastard." Ed miaowed right back at him and let himself fall back to lay on the book Mustang still held in his other hand. He smirked as the eyebrow rose and Mustang stared at him.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked the golden creature and it purred at him. Roy smiled and went to move it so he could see the page. As soon as he pushed it to one side, the cat shifted straight back.

"You're not really reading it." The cat miaowed at him. Roy pushed the animal to the side again and it straightaway returned to the page the moment he took his hand from it. The third time he left his hand on the cat and it wriggled around to lick at his wrist. He lifted his hand in reaction and the cat went back to lie on the book. It stared and the golden eye gleamed at him as it miaowed smugly.

Roy's lips twitched and he wondered what game the little thing was playing now. If it kept him distracted and kept the sleep away for a bit longer, then he would let it have its way. He hadn't really been reading the book anyway.

Ed kept his eye on Mustang to see if he was going to try to move him again, the tip of his tail flicking in invitation. He saw the small muscles around the dark eye move and pulled his tail back and Mustang's fingers closed on empty air. The single eye narrowed and Ed waited again, keeping his tail moving in a random pattern. The muscles moved and so did Ed and Mustang missed again. Ed grinned inside. It had taken him a while to recognise the signs that gave away Mustang's intentions. But now he knew what to look for and he used them to avoid getting his tail caught.

Mustang was getting better at judging things with only one eye and Ed found it harder to avoid the gripping fingers. He had to move much quicker and several times he had misjudged and moved his tail the wrong way and Mustang had pounced on it. His changed perception did not always work in Ed's favour. He smirked as Mustang missed again.

"You know little one, this is hardly fair," Roy said lightly as kept his eye fixed on the cat. It tilted its head and miaowed at him.

"It works for me, bastard." Ed smirked at him.

"After all," Roy continued. "As the pet in this relationship, you're the one that I should be playing with, not you playing with me." He made a quick grab and caught the golden tail as the cat sat upright with an offended miaow. Roy brought his other hand into view, and from his fingers dangled the toy mouse he had bought the other day.

"You are _not _serious?" Ed growled at him and pulled his tail from Mustang's grip as his ears twitched and the fur rose on his back. The mouse spun as Mustang twirled the cord between his fingers and Ed felt his claws twitch. He looked at Mustang and saw the expectant smirk. The mouse spun the other way and the smirk widened.

"Let's play, little one," Roy said in a voice that almost purred and Ed swiped at the mouse before he realised what he was doing. Roy lifted it out of the way and Ed missed. He growled and looked at Mustang. He was going to kill him as soon as he could stop himself from trying for the mouse again.

* * *

Envy opened his eyes carefully. The light was bright and his head was hurting. He rolled over and groaned. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this bad. His whole body ached and his tattoo felt as if it has been carved into his skin with a blunt knife. He struggled to sit up and nearly vomited as his head spun and his stomach roiled.

He looked around and found Wrath curled up on his side a few feet away. As soon as he was able to, he was going to kick the living shit out of the little bastard. As soon as he could move properly, he thought as even his arms seemed unwilling to respond to his commands. This had been worse than the reaction he had felt at Dante's house. And this had not been the minor prickling he had felt the last time Wrath had used his alchemy. This had been a major 'pull your stomach out through your nose' attack and he was still shaking from it.

Had it been because he had actually been touching Wrath this time? Wrath needed to have both of his mismatched limbs on the ground at the same time to make it work. This would be the second time that requirement had not been met. Envy tried to think through the fog in his head.

Wrath shifted and rolled over to face Envy. The violet eyes met his hazel ones and they stared at each other. Wrath held his arm up and Envy blinked. Around the slender wrist could be seen the marks of where Envy had held him. They had been burnt into his skin.

"How the fuck did that happen?" Envy asked in a rough voice.

Wrath shrugged. He was strangely docile and he closed his eyes, seeming to fall straight into unconciousness. Envy stretched carefully and painfully slow and poked at him but he didn't move. Envy lay back on the floor. Maybe they should stay here the rest of the day because he really did not feel like walking anywhere today. He didn't feel like moving at all.

Maybe he ought to risk returning to Central and the old city, despite that array. If he could keep Wrath away from it and if he stayed far enough away from it, then it shouldn't be a problem. There were books there, information that might help. The State Libraries and alchemists were there. A couple of weeks at the most and he could be there. He nodded. Yes, Central. Forget the stones for now. He needed information more.

* * *

Edward watched Mustang roll his head around on his shoulders and smirked. _That'll teach the bastard for_ _making me play with that stupid mouse_, he thought. Although maybe it had been worth letting Mustang dangle that stupid toy in front of him. Their game had relaxed the man enough that he had slipped into sleep without too much more fighting against it. And it wasn't his fault that Mustang now had a stiff neck from having fallen asleep on the couch.

But there had been no nightmares and Mustang was now working as steadily as he ever did. Ed curled up on the desk in the spot he had made his own and slipped into a light doze.

Roy read another file and let his fingers run over the cat's head as it slept. He had enjoyed playing with the little beast last night and he had enjoyed even more having a dreamless night. Even if he did have a sore neck from having slept awkwardly on the couch. But if it hadn't been for the cat he wondered just how disturbed his sleep would've been. Hopefully tonight would be peaceful as well.

He really didn't want to have to worry about whether he was going to be able to sleep or not. Not when there were more pressing issues. Like who was having them watched? What were they looking for? What was he going to do about it? What _could_ he do about it? Fuery had found the wires tapped into their lines and with Havoc, had tracked them back to Internal Security.

Internal Security answered only to the Fuhrer but there was no Fuhrer anymore, which meant either Ashlen, Bister or Cresson would have the control over them. Mustang couldn't see why any of them would want to monitor his phones. Were they still trying to see if he was responsible for Bradley's disappearance? The rumours of his involvement in that night had died down according to Breda, but that wouldn't necessarily put the concerns of the higher echelons to rest. There was always going to be doubt, but he hadn't expected this sort of suspicion. And why had they waited until now?

Had they discovered something or was it totally unrelated? He frowned. Monitoring the phones suggested it could be tied in with the search for the Elrics and he had taken what steps he could to protect the searchers. But it wasn't going to be enough, he knew that. There had to be something more he could do. He just kept hoping that Edward stayed hidden and stayed careful. But he didn't hold out much hope for that last one.

If anything did happen, he dreaded to think how Ed would react if Al was threatened.

* * *

Al stared at the policeman staring at Fraulein Gracia and smiled. The man was so intent on looking at her, he didn't even notice Al watching him. Al looked down at his hands for a moment. He was going to have to do something. Al had taken mental notes all this last week. The officer went past twice on his patrol and always looked at Gracia. If she wasn't looking towards him, he would pause and stare. If she did see him, Al was positive he could see a blush on the long face. It had to be done, he thought. He was going to try and bring them together. They should be together and maybe if they were together here, it would right the dreadful wrong on the other side.

He looked up and met the yellowy-green eyes and he gave him a wide smile. He saw the startled look and the man disappeared, moving on with his patrol. Yes, he was going to find out more about that officer. Gracia deserved to be happy and if that officer was anything like the Hughes he had known, then she would definitely be happy. And this Hughes look-a-like had to be more manageable Al thought. He was shy and Al had never even considered using that word and Maes Hughes in the same sentence, ever.

"Day dreaming?" Gracia's voice broke into his thoughts and he smiled.

"Yes, I guess I was,." he replied as he blinked and looked at her.

"Well, your Father will be here soon, did you want to start clearing the table while I get the coffee ready?" She smiled at him.

"Sure." He frowned for a moment. "Umm, Gracia…?"

"Yes?" Her eyebrows quirked as he suddenly looked embarrassed.

"How do you know if you like someone?" Al asked in a rush and her eyes went wide. She stared at him and his cheeks went slightly pink. Her face softened.

"Trust me, Al. You'll know," she said gently. "You'll find yourself thinking about her all the time and wanting to stay near her." Al ducked his head and she thought his blush had deepened. She wondered who he was thinking about. He hadn't mentioned meeting any girls lately.

Al kept his face hidden, afraid his expression would give him away. Gracia had jumped to the wrong conclusion and he had nearly laughed. But he could use her mistake. And he really didn't know how relationships worked, so he wouldn't have to pretend to be ignorant.

He suddenly wished Ed was here. His brother would have wanted this as much as he did. Although he doubted Ed knew anything about relationships either.

* * *

She was looking at him again. Roy kept his head in the file and felt it. Hawkeye's gaze always had a weight to it. After a week of not feeling it, it was back. His fingers reached and brushed across the little cat. The ears twitched against his fingers and he smiled as he felt the feathery touch.

He had ended up on the couch again last night, driven out of his bed by the nightmares. Playing games with the little cat beforehand had not helped to keep them away this time. He had not expected them and they had left him shaking for nearly half an hour afterwards. His head still felt heavy and the sense of dread at the thought of sleeping tonight was back.

He had no time for being tired. There were rumours floating around this morning that ex-General Hakuro had been seen in the north. And even more disturbing were the ones that said he had made contact with General Bister. Breda had also heard a vague rumour about some heavy mechanised units, but he hadn't been able to get any specific details as yet. Roy wasn't sure what to believe, and it was making him uneasy.

He had the feeling of shadows moving and for the first time, he wasn't one of them. He frowned and his fingers tensed slightly. How could he keep everyone safe if he didn't know what was happening?

Riza Hawkeye watched Roy frown and wondered what had caused it. The shadows that had not been there yesterday were back again. It was unsettling to her to see such visible signs of trouble on his face. He had always hidden everything and only those closest to him, like herself, had been able to read the subtle changes in him. But now it was noticeable to anyone who looked close enough. The shadows around his eye, the frown that creased his forehead more often than not and he was being distant again.

The easy feeling of last week had disappeared and he was pulling away again. She feared he was withdrawing and knew she should have tried harder to dissuade him from going back to his own apartment. All he had now was that cat and she didn't think it was able to supply the companionship he needed at the moment. He needed someone to talk to, to discuss the situation that she could feel developing in Central.

She frowned as the cat stretched and Roy smiled as he poked it with his finger. Yes, he needed to be reminded that she was here, as were the others. He needed to see the people that were around him, who had never stopped believing in him.

Ed stretched and hissed at the poking finger. He rolled and managed to crease the papers beneath him as he went. Mustang frowned at him and Ed gave a pleased miaow as the man began to try and straighten the pages.

"You did that on purpose, little one."

"Don't poke me next time, bastard." Ed growled lightly as he stood up and stretched, putting little claw holes in the thicker folder before he walked across to rub his head against Mustang's jaw. He arched slightly as Mustang's hand ran down his back.

"Enjoy your lunch," the soft whisper startled him and he took a step back to meet the dark eye. They stared at each other. The sleepless night was still evident on his face and Ed knew there was little he could do. They had sat on the couch again and he had felt every shake and tremor that had gone through Mustang. He wondered how much comfort he was in this form. At least Ed thought, I'm not a large chunk of steel. Al had always been so tentative at offering his support because of the hardness and coldness of the armour. No matter how many times Ed had told him otherwise.

"Stupid bastard," Ed miaowed without rancour and rubbed his head against Mustang again before slipping to the floor via his lap. He sauntered to the door, turning to meet the dark eye briefly before he left the office.

He made his way to the mess with a frown. The rumours Breda had brought in this morning, he had already heard them. One thing listening to the rumours had taught him was that the enlisted men heard things and speculated, usually correctly, long before officers heard anything. For the rumours to have become loud enough for Mustang to hear, meant they were moving out of rumour and into fact, regardless of any actual proof.

Jig was waiting for him and he let the man run his fingers across his head before he began on the stew. He was three mouthfuls into it when he realised Jig had not greeted him in his usual manner and he looked up at the private. Jig's mouth was turned down and there was an uncharacteristic frown on his face. Ed miaowed and Jig looked at him.

"It's ok, Goldie. Made it especially for you. Everyone else has fish today," he said in a pale facsimile of his chatty self. Ed tilted his head and looked towards the mess door and then back to Jig. He miaowed again and Jig managed a smile.

"Not today, Goldie," he said. "Hill's not well, that's all."

Ed miaowed and flicked his tail. It wasn't the same when Jig didn't talk. He was used to eating and listening. He always learnt so much and he enjoyed the time he spent here.

"He'll be back tomorrow. I just miss having him to talk to. I don't suppose you really care about Hakuro and Bister joining forces. Bister made his mind up big time with that decision," Jig said with a sigh and Ed miaowed, looking at Jig expectantly.

The smile was more genuine as Jig looked at the little animal. "You want to hear about it?" he asked and saw the little cat's ears twitch as it miaowed again.

"You're a strange little thing, aren't you Goldie? No wonder you belong to the Flame General. I wonder what'll happen to him if Hakuro and Bister win." Jig leant forward and stared at the cat. "Hakuro doesn't like him, I heard that a while back. And if Bister needed Hakuro's support, it's very likely Mustang would've been one of the conditions of that support."

Ed's tail twitched. He didn't like Hakuro and knew that Mustang was not his favourite person either. He growled softly. Hakuro returning would definitely be a problem. And allied with Bister if they managed to seize control. Yes, Ed could see Hakuro demanding Mustang's head on a platter.

"Mind you, if Cresson wins it, your Brigadier-General's not going to be any safer, Goldie," Jig said softly and Ed stared at him. "Cresson doesn't want any competition and the Flame is still a mighty popular man. If he can't find a way to control him, he'll have to get rid of him." Ed hissed and Jig didn't smile. "Lots of people will be feeling a draught round their necks if Cresson wins this one, Goldie."

* * *

Al began to follow the officer, trying to look casual about it and staying as far back as he could. He didn't follow him every day and he never followed him for the whole of his patrol, but he always managed to keep track of him as he went past the flower shop.

Alfons was redesigning the fuel system again and Al was trying to implement all the changes he kept coming up with. Walking back and forth to the workshop gave him more than enough opportunities to take a different route each time.

But Al was puzzled when a week later he couldn't see him. He had the whole patrol mapped out so he walked around it, looking left and right trying to find the officer. Maybe he was just late today or it was a day off. Maybe he'd been transferred somewhere else. Al frowned. No, that wouldn't be fair. They hadn't been able to stay together back home, Al was at least going to make sure they had a chance here.

"For a spy, you're obviously a pretty stupid one." The voice that suddenly spoke beside him made him stumble and he turned to see the yellowy-green eyes of the man he had been looking for. "So why have you been following me this week?"

Al stared. Without the accent he would have sworn it was Maes Hughes speaking. The glasses, the hair, the eyes, everything was Maes. He wasn't as exuberant as Hughes had been, but then Al had only just met him. Maybe he kept that side of himself just for his friends. The eyes narrowed as Al stayed silent.

"I've seen you before. You work at…"

"Fraulein Gracia's." Al finished the sentence for him as he paused and a faint line of pink appeared on his cheeks.

"Yes." The taller man nodded abruptly and his manner became slightly more formal. "Why are you following me?" he asked again.

Al took a deep breath. "You like Fraulein Gracia and I want to help because I think she needs someone to keep her company and not to be lonely and I know you always stare at her so I figured I'd learn more about you first and see if you liked her because I love her and I wouldn't want to hurt her if you turned out to be the wrong one for her and she really doesn't deserve anything like that and you…"

The glasses flashed as the man felt his head spin. The youth didn't seem to be breathing as he kept going and the man held up his hand to try and halt the flow of words.

"Please, enough," he said as he felt his face burning. The kid was looking at him expectantly. "I think you may have been reading too much into things, young man."

The blond shook his head. "No. You watch her all the time and you want to be near her. That means you like her."

The officer blinked. "Who told you that?"

"Fraulein Gracia."

"You asked her? You told her this?" The voice went high and the dark-haired man stumbled back a few steps.

"I didn't know who else to ask," Al said in a logical voice. "Besides, she thinks I was talking about me."

Long fingers slipped up to push the glasses back up his nose. "What's your name?"

"Al Elric."

"Herr Elric, while I appreciate your concern for your friend, I assure you that you really do have it all wrong." There was no way he was going to admit the truth to the youth, no matter how right he was.

"Officer…?"

"Hughes."

Al swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat and blinked to clear his hazy eyes.

"Officer Hughes, I'm not wrong and I want to help." Al spoke simply and Officer Hughes looked at him. He didn't understand the sorrow that had flashed across his face but the sincerity of his words could not be doubted. And his eyes were so clear and honest.

"Herr Elric…" he began, wondering why he was even considering the youth's offer.

"Call me Al." And Officer Hughes suddenly felt as if the ground had just tilted under his feet as the youth smiled at him.

* * *

_He had eyes again and he could see the shadows waiting for him. They stood there patiently as he tried to breathe, to ignore them, to deny his sight. He looked down at his hands. The gloves were gone and when they came for him, as he knew they would, he would be helpless this time. _

_He could feel their hunger, their pain. They wanted him, they wanted him to pay for what he had done. His eyes were restored simply so he could see what they were going to do to him. He was not going to escape this time. Beyond the shadows there was nothing. No hope anymore. There would be no-one to save him._

_He was tired but he had things to do. He didn't want to die here. He had people who depended on him, he had people he had to protect. He would still fight to deny them. He was not prepared to die today._

_They shifted and he moved with them, slipping sideways in a silent reflection. Who was the shadow he wondered as they moved closer. His hand rose up instinctively, forgetting that he had no gloves. He could feel the sense of anticipation that came from them, sweeping over him in a cold rush. His stomach turned and he swallowed hard._

"_You won't get me!" He snarled at them. He snapped his fingers threateningly and flames raced through the darkness and the stench of burning flesh washed back over him. He stared at his bare hand as it snapped again and again. Heat and fire made his eyes water and he stepped backwards, trying to avoid the shadows that ignored his flame._

_One tall shadow moved and stood before him. For a brief moment it looked like Maes. And his fingers snapped before he could stop himself and it was Maes burning._

"_No. No. NO!"_

"NO!" Roy sat up straight, his fingers snapping and his eye wide. Ed jumped, woken by the loud shout and sudden movement. He rolled on the bed and stared as Mustang kept snapping his fingers and shook his head from side to side. Ed moved, slipping into the man's lap. His lips were moving but there was no sound anymore and his eye was strangely blank.

Ed miaowed loudly but Mustang didn't hear him. He stood up and leant against him, his head running along the side of Mustang's jaw. Sweat was appearing across his forehead and small tremors were starting as he remained tensed up. Ed miaowed and he saw the eye twitch. He miaowed again, louder and demanding and Mustang turned to look at him.

"Come on bastard, wake up properly." He growled and waited, feeling the tremors coming faster. "You can't do anything if you stay there, idiot."

A shuddering breath and blink and Mustang was shaking hard, his whole body suddenly drenched with sweat, soaking through the thin shirt. Ed purred and was taken aback when Mustang suddenly rolled across and off the bed. Ed saw Mustang disappear into the bathroom. The sound of dry retching made him take a deep breath and hop from the bed. A really bad nightmare this time. Ed frowned as he walked to the door and edged his way into the bathroom. Mustang was leaning over the basin and Ed could see the strong convulsions that racked his upper body as he retched again. They were getting worse.

Ed leapt lightly up to the basin and balanced carefully on the edge. He almost wished the man had a proper vanity unit in here, instead of the pedestal sink and mirrored cupboard above it. He waited as Mustang struggled to stop the shuddering and it seemed to take a long time before he was able to take a deep breath without retching straight after it. He spat into the basin and grimaced as he turned the tap on.

Roy splashed water on his face as his ribs ached and there was a sour taste at the back of his throat. How could he stop them? Why did they keep coming? He shivered. He had failed so many times before. He had not kept his promises. Why did they have to keep reminding him of that? He was trying hard to make good on the other promises he had to keep. He knew he would have to pay for his failures, just not yet. Not until he had saved everyone.

He avoided looking in the mirror as he grabbed the towel to wipe his face. The small miaow had him turning to see the little cat watching him. He swallowed. The little thing had been keeping rather close ever since it had come back from lunch. It had sat in his lap all afternoon at the office, and even when they had come home it had curled up on him rather than beside him on the couch as per normal.

Roy sighed and knelt down on the hard tiled floor, placing his forearms on the basin's edge and meeting the golden eye.

"I made a promise to you too, little one," he said, his voice still rough and haunted.

"I know, bastard." The cat miaowed at him. The thought of Cresson doing anything to dispose of Roy Mustang made Ed determined to stay close. He wasn't going to let any one threaten his bastard. He stepped along the edge and pressed his head against the still-damp forehead.

"I won't forget," Roy murmured.

"I won't let you."

* * *

Envy strode across the sand listening to the sounds of Wrath following behind. Another day and they would be back in Liore and then to sneak a way to East City and further on to Central. It had been a wasted trip but a long lifespan had given him a strangely calm perspective on time. There was always time when you were a homunculus. It was the only thing remotely comparable to the life you had. Born somewhere you never remembered and stretching forward into eternity, Time was the only thing apart from yourself that was going to be there. It wasn't going to change and neither was he. Envy didn't regret the couple of weeks spent in fruitless searching. He did regret not finding anything.

Wrath stumbled and Envy looked over his shoulder to make sure he was keeping up. Ever since that day, Wrath had been silent. The marks on his wrist had not faded and there was a strange look in his eyes whenever he looked at Envy. He stayed away and never got within ten feet of Envy and while Envy didn't mind that, he was curious as to the change in his behaviour.

He was even doing as he was told without arguing or whining. Something in that reaction had rebounded and Wrath had been affected by it, Envy thought. He was back to normal but Wrath wasn't. He just hoped these changes would last until they got to Central.

* * *

"Another regiment went North this morning," Hill said as he leant against the mess wall on Friday. Ed smiled as he ate the stew. Hill had been back the last couple of days and Jig was back to his normal self.

"That little blue eyed thing in Comm's said her leave had been cancelled. Someone's taking no chances."

"All leave has been cancelled, I heard. Counting heads I reckon."

"I heard someone whispering about Special Security at breakfast." Jig sat back and stretched. "Seems that old man knew what he was talking about."

"Oh they've gone one better, Jig. Internal came through for morning tea. There's a new section being started. Special Forces I think they said."

"Another section? Aren't there enough?"

"Jig, Jig you're missing the point. Cresson puts the Special Security back out to work but he can't have the old name used."

Jig stared at him. "The new section is the old unit but with a name change?"

"Yep, and with it being part of Internal, no-one's going to escape this one," Hill said soberly.

"When does this become official?"

"Next week, week after." Hill shrugged. "I bet it'll be soon though. Especially if he wants to use them. They're still scattered everywhere but the old guy says they're being recalled. Now everyone knows where Hakuro is, Cresson'll want them close if he needs them."

"So when they're all back here…" Jig puffed his breath out. Hill nodded.

"Then it'll be official and Cresson will move. But he's always been one to hedge his bets. I bet he leaves a few scattered around the place, just in case."

* * *

Envy stood in the shadow of a half rebuilt building in Liore and looked across the plaza. Soldiers and civilians everywhere. All bustling along. There were several trucks on the far side and if he could get to them, there was a chance they could stowaway on one of them and get out of here. He looked at Wrath and the young Sin was sitting, still silent, still ten feet away and not looking at him at all.

"You're going to have to stay close, Wrath. We can't get separated now," Envy said quietly and the violet eyes flickered toward him and then away quickly. "And pull your hood up. Even with your hair down, you still look too much like the little pipsqueak."

Wrath did as he was told without speaking and watched from the corner of his eye as Envy looked around again. He stood up as Envy signalled and shivered slightly as he stepped closer to the blond.

Trying to keep his movements casual, Envy stepped into the plaza and Wrath followed. Wrath twitched as he kept near Envy. He found himself shivering again. Ever since he had let the alchemy go through them, he had been unable to feel comfortable near the older Sin. He had felt the hatred that filled Envy, that had burnt almost as bright as the alchemic flares around them.

Halfway across the plaza and Envy reached back and grabbed his cloak. Wrath hissed softly. Too close he thought but he said nothing as he saw Envy moving slightly faster.

"Soldiers" the blond whispered and Wrath put his head down quickly. He itched to get back to the distance he had been maintaining, but he didn't want to have anything to do with soldiers ever again.

He shot a quick glance at Envy. All blond and hazel eyes, not the purple and green shades he had been. Or as Wrath had seen him in the middle of his inadvertent alchemy. He still saw it whenever he closed his eyes. Long, sinuous, scaled. All teeth and claws. Envy in a form he had never seen before or even imagined existed. It had terrified him. It had come straight at him and he had felt his wrist burn.

Envy stumbled and pulled Wrath off-balance. Wrath frowned as he stood up and looked around to see what had caused Envy to trip. They were nearly at the trucks and in the shadows of the buildings. He stared at the fallen Envy as a sound echoed around. He stared at the small hole in the side of Envy's head. He registered the sound as that of a gunshot.

He blinked and his mind seemed to have come to a crashing halt. He staggered as he felt something hit his shoulder. Another gunshot echoed. Someone is shooting at us, his stunned mind told him.

"No! Stop that!" The loud voice had him turning to see a large, almost bald soldier trying to push his way through the panicking crowd. He was heading towards a building and Wrath looked up to see a man positioned on top of it. Without thinking he let the alchemy rise into him and he felt himself sink into the ground as he leant down to complete the circle with his hand.

When he heard the distinctive crackle of alchemy, Major Armstrong looked around. A blond youth lay unmoving on the ground and another, cloaked youth was beside him. There were no circles but there was a very bright uncontrolled alchemic flaring surrounding them, and in flickering light he could see the hood fall back and long black hair whipping across a white face. And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

"You can't be serious." Hawkeye's voice was a mere whisper as she listened to the distraught Major on the other end of the phone. She swallowed as her face paled.

"No!" Her loud exclamation had the office stop and turn to look at her. Hawkeye never raised her voice. She never looked that pale either.

Mustang stroked the little cat in his lap as he waited. Something bad had happened, that didn't take a genius to figure out. He took deep breaths to keep his normal calm demeanour. The little cat stirred and looked up at him, its ears flickering as it yawned slightly.

"Did you make sure?" Hawkeye asked and there was a grimness in her voice he hadn't heard since Ishbal.

"No. We'll do that from here, Alex." Hawkeye's eyes looked across to meet Roy and he knew it was very bad. Extremely bad, as she couldn't hold his gaze and her eyes fell to the desk. He sat up straighter and the cat sat up with him. Ed's ears flicked as he watched. Hawkeye was listening and her face kept getting whiter and her hand was tensing around her gun. Ed had never seen her look so affected by anything before. Even when Mustang had nearly died, she hadn't appeared so completely unsettled.

She hung up and had to swallow twice.

"Edward…and Alphonse…they're dead."

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I know I am very bad for leaving it here and I know it's going to be a couple of weeks before the next chapter as well, with school holidays starting, Christmas crap to organise, work and a con to attend… and my apologies again for leaving it at such a "point of interest"…

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and reviews and support. It's something I can never appreciate enough…

silken :)


	12. Funerals

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Funerals**

"_Edward…and Alphonse…they're dead."_

The room was completely silent. No-one breathed, no-one could move. They all stared at Hawkeye. It was as if the words hung in the air and all they could do was stare at them. It didn't make sense to any of them. Those words simply did not go together. There was no understandable sentence formed when you put those words together. It was just not possible.

The sudden screech and hissing of the golden cat startled them all. He sprung up from Roy's lap and stood in the middle of the desk, back arched, fur standing on end and that golden eye glared at Hawkeye. The hissing continued, interspersed with growls.

"_Al is not dead! He can't die! It's not true!"_ Ed shouted as best he could, denying her words. He could hear a loud pounding in his ears and his blood was frozen and _how is my heart beating so loud when the blood isn't moving and there is no way Al is dead! He's a fucking homunculus, for fuck's sake, they can't die! My brother is not dead!_

Hands gripped him and he struggled as he was dragged back and held close against a warm chest. He looked up at Mustang and felt his heart stop again. You'd think he'd actually killed them himself, his face was so white and he looked absolutely devastated. It was the face he had worn during the night. Ed pushed himself up and settled his head in the crook of Mustang's neck. The man was completely frozen. He leant against him and tried to purr. _Al is not dead, he's not, he's not!_

Hawkeye watched them even as the rest of her mind kept shifting from the tormented sound of Armstrong's voice to the tormented look on Roy's face. She could not believe it, even as she had said the words.

"Alex said…he said… there was gunfire… and Al…Al was hit and Edward …" She paused and took a deep breath. "Edward lost control and … destroyed the town centre."

"You can't… how can you say…?" Havoc struggled to speak and his head shook from side to side. "No, this… this can't be right."

"Alex was there," Hawkeye managed through stiff lips.

"But Ed… Ed, he wouldn't have…even if Al..." Breda tried to find a coherent path through the shock.

"He said it looked like Ed didn't care." Hawkeye swallowed and forced herself to go on. "He brought all the buildings down." She looked at her desk unable to meet their eyes. "They're still pulling bodies out of the rubble."

"How many…?" Fuery asked in a strangled whisper. Edward losing control over Al's death was expected, but having that reaction involve others was completely out of character. Especially innocent bystanders.

"They don't know yet."

"And Ed and Al…?" Havoc asked hesitantly.

"They were under it all." She lifted her head, her sherry eyes swimming slightly before she blinked and cleared them. "Alex says he'll ring as soon as they… as soon as they're found..."

"But?" The cold voice had them all turning to look at Mustang. His face was ghostly white and only his eye showed any emotion now. He was closing down inside. To stop himself from shaking apart; to stop the nightmares from re-appearing right in front of him. He felt as if he had been carved in ice and only where the cat was lying on him was warm. He had caught the trailing off and had known there was more to come. There was always more to come when it involved the Elrics.

"But … but he says the reaction was so strong… there's nothing left."

* * *

Al sat on the bench and leant back, looking up at the scudding clouds above. He smiled. It was peaceful to sit here and just watch everything go past. It had been a long time since he had felt this relaxed.

The rocket was going well. Alfons had solved one problem and then had two more appear. Al had laughed as Alfons had nearly set fire to his calculations as he had waved them too close to the furnace at the foundry, when he had been trying to persuade them to alter the steel composition for the third time in a month. Both had nearly come to blows as they had fought over the ratios for the fuel mixture. The blackboard had a crack down one side caused by Al when his fist had hit it during that argument. He still had the bruise. But despite those things, everything was slowly coming together.

Al had been at Fraulein Gracia's earlier and he had enjoyed his time there as he always did. Officer Hughes had passed and Al had smiled although Gracia hadn't seen him. He was trying to convince the man to come into the shop, but Hughes always backed away. Al had never met anyone as shy and uncertain as the lanky man. It was strange, he seemed easy to talk to at any other time. However as soon as Fraulein Gracia was mentioned, he fell into such a nervous state Al had trouble resisting the urge to hit him sometimes.

Dad was being fairly quiet at the moment, often going to the University Library and spending hours there and coming home with copious notes. Al was convinced that there had been several nights when his father had not gone to bed at all. He had tried to have a look at what he had been doing but the calculations had been obscure and very complicated. Al hadn't seen anything like it before. And his father had merely shook his head and not answered when he had asked about them.

Al frowned. Some of those lines had reminded him of the large circle in the underground city. Dad wasn't thinking of human transmutation again, was he? And if he was, why? Nothing he had seen so far in the arrays warranted the inclusion of such an uncertain and dangerous form of alchemy. Had he been sidetracked, as had happened before, and once the distraction was gone, he'd return to the usual arrays? Al sighed. Sometimes his father was worse than Ed for following stray thoughts into places normally sane people wouldn't go.

Edward._ Brother_. Still the one thing he missed above all else. _You'd love it here, Brother. I'd never get you out of the Library. And you'd love the rocket. And the food and Fraulein Gracia. Oh Brother, this would be just perfect if you were here too. _

Al leant forward and put his head in his hands. _Brother, are you still alive?_

* * *

Ed stayed lying on Roy, prone across his chest along one arm as Roy lifted the phone with the other.

"_Brigadier-General Mustang, it's Schieska. They said you needed to speak to us?"_

"Yes Schieska. Is Miss Rockbell with you? I need to speak to her."

"_Yes Sir. I'll get her." _Roy waited, staring at one of the golden ears. He couldn't meet the eyes of his staff. That would break his control. He had never had to restrain himself so tightly before.

"_Brigadier-General?"_

"Miss Rockbell…Winry, there's been an incident." There was a pause.

"_It's them isn't it? It's Ed and Al. You've found them. What did they do?"_ Her voice rose excitedly and Roy took a deep breath as the golden ear twitched.

"Yes, it's them, they've been found. But Winry, there was trouble." Roy paused to swallow. He hadn't known how hard this would be.

"_They're hurt. They got hurt, didn't they? They did something stupid and now they're in hospital again. The idiots! Which hospital? I don't blame you, I know what those two are like."_

"Winry, they aren't in hospital. They're dead." He stopped. Saying the words out loud made him feel cold all over again.

"_No."_

"I'm sorry," he said.

"_No, no, nononononono." _Roy could hear her continual denials and he held back his breath. He wanted to say something, anything, but he knew that there was nothing he could say. You just couldn't use words at moments like these.

"_Sir?"_The hesitant voice on the other end broke into his daze and he could hear muffled sobbing in the background

"Yes, Schieska?"

"Winry says, she says…"

"Yes, it's true." He sighed silently and tightened his control again. "Come back to Central as soon as you can. We need you back here."

"_Where… what happened?"_ Schieska struggled to say.

"There was an explosion. Major Armstrong and Falman will be getting us all the information they can. There's nothing either of you can do, just come home." Some of his feelings leaked out into his voice, the strain and aching regret.

"_Yes Sir…thank you Sir."_ He heard the receiver being replaced but he couldn't move, and he sat there listening to the dead line for the longest moment. The cat rubbed its head against his chest and he looked down at it as he put the phone back.

His fingers wove through the soft fur and he tried to keep his mind on everything that needed to be done. He did not want to remember that last look he had received from Edward; he didn't want to recall seeing Al, human again and apparently dead on that floor and he did not want to imagine what had happened in Liore this afternoon.

The office was still shell-shocked. No-one had left as they had begun to call off the search, contacting everyone they could. Roy had insisted on being the one to tell Winry Rockbell. He had already caused her immeasurable grief, he didn't want her to hear about Edward from anyone but him. It was hard to imagine what she was feeling at this moment.

"I've notified Winry's grandmother." Hawkeye's voice had him looking up and he nodded.

"Good."

"With her information plus what there was from South Headquarters, we've managed to contact their old teacher."

Ed twitched as he heard that. Teacher was going to be absolutely furious. It was hard listening to them make these arrangements. Neither Falman nor Armstrong had rung back yet and it was hard to wait. He needed to know what had happened. Al wasn't dead, he believed that. You didn't kill homunculi by dropping buildings on them. But alchemy had been involved and that worried him greatly.

Envy couldn't do alchemy. So how had he managed to bring the buildings down? It didn't make sense. Hawkeye had said that he had lost control after Al had been hit. How badly had Al been hit? Maybe it had been Al who had sparked the alchemy. Just exactly what had Armstrong seen? That is what he needed to know.

As far as he knew, Wrath had been the only homunculus capable of doing alchemy and that had only been because he had had Ed's arm and leg. But someone had used it and Al was the only other candidate. Which made Ed wonder again as to what his brother had become. He wished he could remember what had happened after he had restored Al that first time. How had he been sent back to the Gate? Had he been combined with someone else at the Gate? Was he like Wrath? Or was he something completely different? Something different enough that his usually gentle brother would deliberately wreak havoc on such a scale and against civilians. Hell, Al could barely kill spiders, to think he could wantonly kill people was impossible to comprehend. Ed had not been able to do it and he had nearly lost his brother and his life because of it. Just what had happened to Al? His tail flicked. He needed to know.

Because if Al had not done it, then that left Envy. And the thought that Envy was somehow able to do alchemy scared the shit out of him. They had all been caught up in that transmutation, and he couldn't begin to guess what else might have come from that. His own change was one thing and having Al walking around another. Just what had it done to Envy?

He shifted uneasily and Roy's hand stroked down his back.

"Edward will get a military funeral. Al…" Roy paused and looked down at the cat. It looked up at him.

"Al should be with his brother," Hawkeye said.

"I know. But it will take some wrangling to get that arranged." He frowned. "I am half tempted to send them home." _Like I should have done, years ago._

The little cat miaowed, tilting its head. Ed was slightly puzzled. They hadn't even found any bodies and they were talking of burying him already? Is that how these things worked? What about what had happened in Liore? Why weren't they talking about that? If Al had really died, and it had really been him there, he wouldn't have struck out indiscriminately like that, and he sure as hell would not have brought everything down on top of them. He wouldn't be able to get revenge if he did that. He thought they knew him better than that. Especially the solid lump he was being held by.

"You should go home too, Roy." Riza's voice lowered as she looked at him.

"No, not yet. Someone has to stay here." He shook his head and met her gaze. She was worried about him, he could see that. Her face was still pale and the expression in her eyes was probably little different from his. Shock still lingered, along with the hope that it was all a big mistake and the Elric's were going to reappear from the rubble, just like they had done so many times before.

"Roy, we can take care of this. You need to get some sleep," she said gently, worried about the shadows across his face. She didn't miss the slight tremor that went through him as she said the word 'sleep', and his look firmed.

"No." He stroked the cat and it purred softly. "I'm staying here. You can go if you want." But he knew she wouldn't. None of them were going to leave. They were all going to stay right here.

As expected, she shook her head. "I'll order something up from the mess hall," was all she said as she turned away.

He held back his sigh. She was trying to help, he could see that. But he didn't want her to help. This was his problem, they were all his responsibility and he didn't want to worry them more than they already were. This was something he had to do on his own. He had already failed the Elrics, _twice_ a little voice said, and he was not going to fail again. Not him, not again.

A little miaow had him looking at the cat. The single golden eye was staring at him and the little animal shifted around, stretching up to rub it's head against the side of his face. He leant into the soft caress and his hand curled around its ribs. He had even failed this little one.

"I'm sorry, little one," he whispered before he could stop himself and his throat seized up. He lowered his head and had to swallow hard. It took several deep breaths to bring back his rigid control.

"Stupid bastard." The cat miaowed at him. "When are you going to start thinking straight again, moron?" He butted his head against Roy's chin, trying to lift the bastard's head up. He knew Roy, and he knew he would not want to show any weakness here, even if he was surrounded by his friends. Getting him to admit it was okay to show a bit of weakness was something completely different. Ed shook his head when Roy finally began to move his fingers through Ed's fur, and his face was clear again as his head lifted.

Fuery had broken down earlier. He had laid his head on his arms and cried. Havoc and Hawkeye had both held him as he had shaken hard. He was still red-eyed and shaky. Hawkeye was considering sending him to his dorm, but Havoc had shaken his head and had told her that he was better off being here for the moment when they had had a quick moment to discuss it.

Breda was forcing himself to concentrate on the plans in front of him but a closer look revealed that he was just doodling aimlessly across the maps. And Havoc had merely given him a few of the older ones and left him to it.

Havoc wasn't quite sure how he was holding himself upright. He was smoking in the office and Hawkeye hadn't shot at him once for it. Yet. He knew she would probably castigate him for it later, but tonight was already too hard without worrying about trivial things.

He looked at Hawkeye. She was watching Mustang again. She had been doing it a lot lately. He was well aware that she was worried about the man. He wondered just how deeply she felt for Mustang. He knew they had been friends for many years although they rarely mentioned it. But it was easily seen in the complete confidence that surrounded her every time she shot at him or calmly told him what to do. It baffled Havoc that Mustang never seemed to realise that Hawkeye cared so much for him. Havoc wasn't about to label it 'love'. Mustang appeared completely oblivious and Havoc wondered if he was pretending or if he really was unaware. He found it hard to believe that someone as deft as Mustang was with the ladies would fail to recognise the signs. Even in his First Lieutenant.

He looked across at the man. He was sitting there, stroking that damned little yellow monster. He was pale. Hell, they were all still pale. He had that deceptive bland look that Havoc knew concealed his thoughts better than any other expression. The initial shock and devastation had been wiped from his face and he had retreated into that façade he had perfected over so many years, since Ishbal.

Ed sniffed, turning his head and looking towards the door. He could smell food and it was getting closer. His stomach grumbled and he licked his lips. Being upset and anxious did not have an effect on his appetite, if anything he was hungrier.

The knock at the door had them all turning towards it and Ed grinned as he recognised an uncomfortable looking Jig standing there. He miaowed and the man smiled as he looked across and saw the little cat.

"The meals you ordered, Lieutenant," he said as he hesitantly entered to put a heavily laden tray on the nearest table.

"Thank you, Private," she said as she came across to survey the tray's contents.

He took a small covered plate from one side and bit his lip before moving away and walking nervously towards the Brigadier-General's desk. Hawkeye opened her mouth to say something and Roy's eyebrow rose, but Ed miaowed happily and twisted, stepping from Mustang to the desk. He recognised the smell and he licked his lips again as he watched Jig place the plate on the desk and take the cover from it. Ed miaowed again and walked closer to Jig, who smiled and ran his fingers lightly over the golden head.

"Made especial for you, Goldie," Jig whispered before looking at the Brigadier-General and saluting. "Forgive the liberty, Sir, it's just I know he really likes the stew."

Mustang nodded. He knew that too, as the little thing usually ended up eating half of his whenever he had it at home. The cat was not that fond of food specifically designed for cats and always wanted whatever Roy was having.

"Thank you, Private. I appreciate you thinking of him. He can get rather obnoxious when he's hungry." They both saw the little head lift to hiss at Mustang before he went back to eating the stew. Jig smiled.

"Just let me know when you need anything for him, Sir."

"I will do, Private…?"

"Jig, Sir."

"Jig. Thank you again, Jig, from both him and I."

Ed looked up and miaowed his thanks and Jig stroked him quickly before saluting and walking from the room. Roy leant forward, his chin resting on the backs of his fingers as he put his elbows on the desk.

"A friend of yours I assume, little one?" he asked quietly. Ed smirked at him with a smug purr.

"There's more than enough here to feed ten people," Hawkeye said as she brought over a plate for Roy. He looked at it and sighed. He wasn't hungry.

"I don't think any of us are wanting food right now, Hawkeye," he remarked.

"I know, Sir. But you need to eat something, unless you want to collapse later?" Her remark lacked its usual edge and Roy looked at her.

"Thank you" was all he said and accepted the meal.

"And do not give it to the cat," she ordered before going back to her desk. Both cat and man looked at her and then at each other. Ed tilted his head and miaowed.

"Like you have a choice, bastard."

* * *

Major Armstrong let himself slide down the wall to sit on the rubble piled up against it. He closed his eyes before opening them again and looking out across the ruined town centre. What had been hidden during the night was becoming all too clear in the dawn light.

"Major?" Falman's tired voice reached him and he waved a languid hand, unable to trust his voice.

Falman trudged over, coffee mugs in his hands and he gave one to the Major before he sat down beside him. They sipped in silence, their eyes shifting from one mound of wreckage to the next. Soldiers and civilians were crawling all over the piles, sorting and sifting trying to find any survivors, trying to find traces of anyone.

"We're not going to find them," Alex suddenly said in a subdued tone.

Falman looked at him. The big man was exhausted. His eyes were dulled, his sparkle lost somewhere during the long night. He was caked in dust and his melancholic air had deepened into a heavy sorrow.

"We might. There's still a chance," Falman said, trying to make himself believe the words.

"Look at it." He waved his hand and they both stared at the last place Armstrong had seen the Elric's. "It's so fused together that I can't separate it. It's not just metals and concrete there, there are… were people in there. I can't… I can't do alchemy on that scale. I don't think anyone could."

There was a large depression in the ground where the alchemic reaction had flared. The sides of the hollow were as smooth as glass and the twisted remains of the trucks that had been close, lay like steel skeletons around it. The trucks had exploded and shrapnel had shot across the plaza, passing through the alchemic flare and dragging it with them. Fires had sparked as the burning debris had struck people and makeshift stalls alike.

Armstrong had seen the reaction increase and spread out, the buildings closest beginning to topple and fall. Then wider, broad lines stretching, reaching out across the square towards one particular building. The building from whence the shots had come. Armstrong had seen it literally turn to dust, completely deconstructed in an instant. Gone before he could blink. He had turned to protest the wanton destruction and seen Edward in profile, long black hair whipping freely around his head, kneeling with his hand sunk into the ground. The boy had looked at his fallen brother and then lifted his face up to the sky. Armstrong had heard the angry scream above the roar as one of the buildings had collapsed onto them.

"Alex…" Falman started to say but the big man shook his head, tears beginning to track through the dust on his face.

"There's nothing left." He looked at Falman. "They're gone."

* * *

Ed yawned and stretched across Mustang's chest. He looked sleepily up at the man and saw him still staring across the office. A casual hand fell lightly on his back as he moved and the single dark eye looked down at him.

Tired, Roy Mustang was so damned tired and Ed could see it in his eye. Ed moved slowly and climbed up to rest his head against Mustang's jaw. He didn't think the man had slept at all. The fear of having nightmares, especially here, would have kept him from sleeping.

"Morning little one," he said very softly and Ed turned his head to see the others still sleeping. Hawkeye and Havoc had taken the couches, Breda had somehow managed to find the desk comfortable and was lying on it and Fuery was stretched across several chairs.

Ed looked at the clock. It was barely six in the morning. He yawned again and felt Mustang sigh beneath him. He butted the man's jaw and then leant back slightly, his claws digging into the blue jacket. What the man needed was to get out of here. He frowned and then grinned. He knew just the thing.

He unhitched his claws and twisted around to jump down to the floor. He looked at Mustang and tilted his head before taking a few steps towards the door. The dark eye was watching and he took several more steps before looking back at the bastard. He flicked his tail impatiently as he waited.

Roy felt his lips crease as he watched the little cat. Just what was it doing he wondered as he saw it walk away and then turn to look at him. The ears and tail were flickering as it stopped and stared at him again. The small head tilted and he looked as if he would miaow but he merely moved closer to the door and then looked back again. Roy suddenly understood. He looked around the room, everyone was still asleep, and the cat wanted him to follow it.

He stood up quietly and straightened his jacket up as he began to walk towards the cat. The cat seemed to nod at him and headed to the door. Roy followed, feeling rather bemused as they both almost snuck out of the office.

The little beast ran in front of him and miaowed occasionally once they were away from the office. The building appeared completely empty and their footsteps echoed as they passed through hallways he wasn't sure he'd ever been down before.

Ed stopped in front of a door and growled, circling around in annoyance. This door was never closed. It had always been open whenever he had come this way before. He heard Mustang chuckle before he pushed open the door.

"Smartass bastard," he hissed before walking through to the outside. He looked up at him as Mustang let the door shut behind them. That chuckle had been empty and it was not reflected on his face. Ed kept moving, he didn't want to give Mustang any time to start going back to the depressing thoughts again. Not yet anyway. Ed was well aware that the next few days were going to be very hard on all of them, and he was trying very hard not to worry himself into a knot. And if he had trouble thinking straight, he knew it was worse for the others.

He rounded the corner and stopped dead. His back arched instinctively and his teeth bared as he growled. A black splotchy cat was at the mess door eating what smelled like fresh eggs and bacon. It was larger than Ed, its black fur was longer and there were white and grey patches scattered over it. Two green eyes lifted to stare at him and Ed moved forward, his tail bristling as it went from side to side.

Instincts were telling him the stranger was in his territory and should be sent fleeing for his life. The rational side was telling him that this was Patches, one of Jig's other cats, and that he had just as much right to be here as anyone else. But the instincts were stronger and Ed's growl grew louder as he got closer. A good fight wouldn't go astray either was his last clear thought as he leapt forward.

Roy hurried around the same corner he had seen his cat go round, trying to keep up with the little beast and saw fur flying. Literally. His golden cat and a larger black one were yowling and screeching as they clawed at each other. The mess door slammed open and the man who had delivered their meal last night appeared.

"Patches! Goldie!" he called and the cats ignored him.

"Water, Jig!" A voice called from inside and the man darted back inside the kitchens leaving the cats for the moment.

Roy slipped out of his jacket and stepped closer, waiting for a moment before he pounced with his jacket to grab at his cat. Just as the mess door opened again and a bucket-load of water landed on him and the cats.

"Oh fuck!" The exclamation was short as Jig looked at a wet one-eyed man who was holding a jacket with a golden cat caught in it and he could see Patches running hard in the opposite direction.

"Fuck… I mean…I'm sorry, Sir, I was just trying to stop them from fighting and water does that, and I didn't see you there Sir, otherwise I never would have thrown it."

Roy shook his head and felt water run down his back. "It's ok, er…Jig wasn't it?"

"Yes Sir. Jig, Sir." Jig saluted nervously.

"Relax, Jig," Roy said as he looked at the cat in his jacket. "It's not your fault. I have no doubt this little beast started it. Didn't you, little one?"

The cat hissed at him indignantly. "It's not my fault, bastard!"

Roy looked around and realised the only place to sit was on one of several crates standing by the door. He moved over to one and sat down before unwrapping the soggy cat from his jacket. Ed shook his head; that was the wettest part of him as he had already been mostly covered by the jacket. Mustang and the other cat had received the brunt of the water. He perched on Mustang's leg and began to groom his fur.

"You are a demon, little one," Roy remarked as he removed his wet gloves before running his fingers over the cat seeking any battle wounds.

Ed gave a smug miaow. It might have been a bit stupid to let his instincts take control like that, but he felt better for it. And he had been winning, he knew that. Claws were the most useful things in a fight. He'd have to remember that for later.

"Uh Sir?"

"Yes Jig?" Roy looked up at the nervous man standing nearby.

"We have a towel if you'd like to get dried a bit and some breakfast as well, Sir."

The little cat miaowed at the breakfast invitation and then turned around and stared at Mustang. "Say yes, bastard." Roy nearly smiled as the little cat growled at him.

"Thank you Jig, breakfast and a towel sound wonderful." And the cat stood up, reaching up on his back legs to rub his head against Mustang's jaw. Ed purred gently and Mustang's hand settled at his back.

"You really are a demon, little one."

"And you're an idiot, Roy," Ed miaowed back at him as he dropped back into Roy's lap to await breakfast.

* * *

"No!" Roy slammed his hand on his desk as the little cat hissed. Two eyes, one black, one gold, stared at the Generals. "I will not allow his name to be defamed like that!"

"Brigadier-General, we don't know that…"

"I do know! Edward would _never_ have deliberately caused any of it! Someone shot at them first. _That's _where the blame lies." Roy rose half out of his chair and the hackles lifted on the little cat, sitting on the desk in front of him.

"There's no evidence left, Mustang."

"There are enough witnesses and they all agree that someone shot …Alphonse before any of this started." Roy took another breath and sat back again, trying to force the images his words had conjured up as far away as he could at the moment.

Generals Ashlen and Cresson sat opposite the fuming man. Cresson sat quietly as Ashlen did most of the speaking. They had entered the office after lunch and once the office had been cleared, had proceeded to make Roy's already very bad day much, much worse.

News of the incident in Liore had not taken long to reach Central yesterday afternoon. All the personnel stationed there had been detailed to help with the search and clean up and their superiors had wasted no time in ringing Central for further instruction. Reports had been sketchy at first, but more details kept coming as people had worked all through the night, and there was a level of hostility, passive at the moment, building being directed towards the Military.

"Despite that," and Ashlen's eyes conveyed his sympathy even as he spoke. "Fullmetal had no right to lash out so indiscriminately. To endanger civilians, to kill civilians." His head shook. "That is what people are saying. This incident has completely blackened the face of State Alchemy. Fullmetal was claimed as the 'People's Alchemist'. They feel betrayed, Mustang."

Roy shook his head. "Edward would never willingly betray anyone. Threatening Al is tantamount to threatening Edward. But I don't believe he would have lost his control to this extent. Collateral damage on this scale demonstrates an almost juvenile response, and Edward was never juvenile." Roy stated evenly, taking refuge in the old dutiful façade he had worn in Ishbal. His fingers smoothed through the raised golden fur in front of him.

"Explain that." Cresson spoke for the first time and Roy turned to look at him.

"Lashing out indiscriminately is a childish impulse. 'You hurt me, I'm going to hurt you' is the reasoning of a child, and Edward Elric was never such a child. If anything I would have expected him to have gone only after whoever had perpetrated this…travesty and sought to release his pain through revenge."

"That's a hard call to make," Ashlen remarked.

"No. Al is…was everything to his brother. Anyone that hurt Al would have become Ed's target." Roy spoke firmly. They were not going to make Ed be the guilty party here. "Ed only ever threw his temper around over the small issues, never the ones that counted. And protecting his brother was always the biggest issue with Edward."

The little cat miaowed in agreement, even as he bristled at Roy's phrasing, and Ashlen looked at them both.

"Not knowing who the shooter was makes this harder to resolve," Cresson said quietly.

"There were no known threats against either brother."

"You did say that Major Elric had possibly uncovered something detrimental to the military, and that he feared his brother could be used against him. It is obvious now that whatever he found is a very real threat. And that whatever or whoever they found was prepared to kill them both so openly behoves us all to be wary now." Cresson frowned.

"Yes Sir," Roy replied, his mind whirling behind his mask.

"Bister would not have gone to these lengths," Ashlen said suddenly and Roy blinked. What did General Bister have to do with this? Wasn't he up North?

"We don't know that, Ashlen," Cresson remarked slowly. "I wouldn't have thought him capable of joining with Hakuro either and he's done that."

"But this sort of thing reflects badly on the whole Military, not just State Alchemy. I don't think Bister would want to have this sort of attention focused on us."

"I think he would. If he comes down from the mountains with Hakuro by his side, and starts declaring that only he can get rid of the dangerous, uncontrollable Alchemists and bring the current no-doubt lax and irresponsible military command into line, then yes, I can see him doing just that." Cresson spoke clearly and then turned to Roy. "And you never heard any of this, Mustang."

"Yes Sir." Roy nodded as he listened. "General Hakuro has always considered alchemists as untrustworthy," he noted as his fingers kept moving over the little cat's back.

"He has always considered you to be untrustworthy as well, Mustang," Cresson replied.

"The General and I have always maintained a civil relationship. My being a ranked alchemist has always unsettled him I think."

"I'm not that comfortable with alchemists either," Cresson said bluntly. "But I understand the need for them and I do realise that there are both right and wrong ways to use them." He met Roy's single eye. "Ishbal is a prime example of the wrong way. If not for that, then this incident wouldn't be the threat that it is."

"We need damage control," Ashlen interjected. "And we need to start now. Before this incident is totally misused to cause further turmoil."

"We don't know who is responsible for this. While Bister has the most to gain, we can not come out and accuse him without proof," Cresson remarked.

"Then we tell the truth and claim that a person or persons unknown murdered the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother in an attempt to destabilise both the military and Amestris," Ashlen replied.

"There are reports of trucks exploding. We could use them to explain the collateral damage," Cresson said thoughtfully.

Both Ashlen and Roy stared at him and he met their looks with an even stare. "Unless you want to declare that Fullmetal was responsible for all those deaths?" He queried them. Roy shook his head. No, he did not want that to be the last entry on Edward's service record.

"Full military funerals for them both," Cresson said next. "I know the younger brother was never part of the Military, but you tell me they were inseparable. It would be cruel to separate them now."

"How do you intend to explain the alchemy? Too many people saw that to be able to ignore it."

"We think that Fullmetal was trying to protect not only his fallen brother, but the others around him when an unknown alchemist, probably allied to the assassins became involved and recklessly let loose."

Ed's tail flickered as they made arrangements. Roy's fingers tensed occasionally and he knew the bastard was not completely comfortable with what they were doing. Neither was Ed, but he could see the reasoning behind it as well. No wonder the bastard had nightmares. This cold way of drawing up plans to cover up and misdirect was causing his fur to keep lifting. How could they just sit here and decide these things without even sounding concerned? It chilled him and he had to swallow several times.

If he hadn't been able to feel the tensions in Roy, he would have hated them all. The fact that this meant that Al could not be blamed for it either, made him hate himself.

When they left, Roy stood up and pushed past his returning staff, heading to the bathroom where he threw up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of the sick taste in his mouth.

* * *

Al watched as Officer Hughes walked past the doorway again. He kept watching as the lanky man went past for a third time and rolled his eyes at him as he saw him appear for a fourth time. The fifth time had him frowning, and the sixth nearly had him throwing his hands in the air and going over to drag the man into the shop.

Al frowned at the potted plant in his hands. Maybe the man was just a hopeless case and it was never going to work. Maybe Al just wanted it to happen so badly that he was pushing too early, or too hard and maybe it just wasn't going to work out on this side of the Gate.

"Al?" Gracia interrupted his musings. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking, I guess."

She smiled. "Then stop thinking so hard. You're going to break that pot in a moment."

He looked down, startled. His fingers were white, he was gripping the pot so tightly. He let go and it fell to the floor shattering at his feet.

"Oh no! I'm sorry!" He knelt down to begin cleaning up.

"Careful Al. Those clay shards are sharp," she said as she reached behind her for the broom. Her hand waved in the air and then bumped into something that was not the broom handle. She turned and looked straight into the yellowy-green eyes of a be-spectacled red-faced man who was staring at her as her hand latched onto his jacket button.

"Oh," they both said at the same time and Al looked up, his face creasing into a smile that neither of them saw.

* * *

Edward rolled off the bed as Roy bolted to the bathroom. The sounds of vomiting echoed through the door and he sighed as he padded his way after him. The man was drenched in sweat and his breath was ragged as he shook with each upheaval of his stomach.

Ed walked over and waited nearby. It felt as if a year had passed since they had sat outside the mess and shared breakfast this morning. The little contretemps with the other cat had helped Ed find a mental balance which he was clinging to. Armstrong and Falman weren't expected to return for another three days and the funerals were to be held the day after that. Winry and Schieska were due back tomorrow.

Ed had listened to all the arrangements as they were being made and he had been slightly bewildered at all the details and effort that went into this sort of occasion. He didn't recall there being so much to do when his mother had died, but then Pinako had taken control of that. It hadn't been easy on the others either. Havoc had nearly choked and Fuery had gone green when Hawkeye had mentioned adding some weight to the empty coffins to enable them to be carried correctly and to stop them from echoing too much when the dirt was shovelled back onto them.

Roy settled back on his heels, his face white and a shaky hand reaching up to flush the remains of his dinner away. Ed sidled next to him and leant against his thigh. The shaky hand ran over him and Roy dropped his head down to meet the single eye staring at him.

The little cat had been with him all day, rarely moving from his lap. Sharing breakfast outside the mess had been an interesting experience. It had been a long time since he had sat on a crate to eat his meal. Not since the earliest days of Ishbal. When he had snuck out of officer territory with Maes, and they had sat behind half destroyed buildings to share a meal and laugh. Before Maes had left for his desk job, before the death of the Rockbells, before the night he had helped burn Ishbal to the ground.

The bad taste in his mouth was not all caused by his current bout of throwing up. Some was still lingering from the machinations in his office this afternoon. It had been difficult enough to keep his mask in place during the long morning, but it had been almost impossible during that meeting. And he had seen his inner disgust mirrored on the faces of the others as he had told them what had been decided afterwards.

"It's so wrong, little one. But what else can I do? Ed hated being used, and now I can't stop them from using him. Not without him being branded a mass-murderer." Sweat dripped from his face and he shook as a chill went through him. "It's just so unlike Ed," he muttered and the cat miaowed at him.

"That's because it wasn't me, you idiot."

"I know he always caused a lot of damage, but he never hurt anyone before." The dark head went lower and the hot forehead rested on the cold rim of the toilet. "Not like me."

Ed crawled onto Roy's lap as best he could and pushed himself against his chest. He purred trying to relay some warmth as Roy shivered again. When the drops fell onto his fur, he knew it wasn't sweat this time.

* * *

Neither Roy nor Ed was prepared when Winry entered with Schieska and Izumi behind her.

Roy was seated at his desk, cat-less for once, reading through yet another report on Liore when they appeared at the office door. Winry's eyes were red-rimmed and her face pale. Izumi was pale too but her eyes glowed with a barely contained anger. Schieska stayed back as the other two approached Roy and he stood up, walking around his desk to meet them.

"Where are they?" Izumi demanded.

Roy shot a quick glance to Hawkeye and then to Winry. Hawkeye nodded and came over to stand next to the young woman. Roy looked at Izumi.

"Nothing remained," he said simply and Winry collapsed into Hawkeye's arms. An expression of remorse briefly flashed across Izumi's face as she looked at Winry.

"Perhaps if you took Miss Rockbell somewhere quiet, Hawkeye?" he suggested and the Lieutenant nodded. She helped Winry to stand up straighter and Schieska came over to help. Together the three of them left the room.

Roy turned to Izumi. "Would you like to sit down?" he asked, motioning towards the couches and she studied him before nodding abruptly.

"Yes. And you can tell me exactly what those stupid boys did," she said in no uncertain terms as she walked to the couch. Roy followed her and sat opposite her. He stared at her for a long moment before making up his mind. She knew the Elrics better than anyone else. And he didn't think she was going to accept the official version of events.

"I can tell you what you want to know, but you can't tell anyone else," he started.

"I will decide that," she snapped back.

"No." His single eye met hers fearlessly. "This is to protect Edward. Either you agree or I say nothing."

It was her turn to study him and he didn't know what she saw in his face before she nodded.

"Very well then."

"The truth is that someone shot Al and Edward lost control. He destroyed most of the Liore town square in an uncontrolled reaction. They were both lost when the buildings collapsed on to them."

"Edward would never be so reckless," she remarked.

"The witnesses all agree that the reactions that started came from Edward."

"The reports in the paper said there was another alchemist involved."

"That's a fabrication. Edward was the only alchemist involved."

Her eyes flickered. "So to stop him from being held responsible for all those deaths, you would lie?"

"Yes." He looked at her. "Edward was the only State Alchemist anyone ever really trusted. He sometimes derided that 'People's Alchemist' title, but it gave him a sense of worth. Knowing that he did make a difference helped him when little else could. I am not going to allow his name to be dragged down. And if I have to lie, then lie I will."

* * *

Ed came bounding into the office from lunch, not wanting to leave Roy alone for too long, and stopped short as he saw Teacher seated on one of the couches. His eye went wide and he looked around. He couldn't see any damage to anyone, there was no blood on the walls. He looked at Roy and saw the determination on his face. He knew how stubborn they both were. He twitched, this could get ugly. Ed gave the other couch a wide berth and leapt lightly up onto Roy's lap as quickly as he could. He curled himself up into a small ball and looked at the pale face of his Teacher.

Her eyebrows were raised as she stared at the little cat. Roy stroked it gently and wondered why the little thing seemed to be tense. His tail tip was flickering and he was staring at the woman with a fixed glare.

"That Winry girl told me that Ed had restored Al. How did that happen?" Izumi asked as she looked away from the cat and back to the man.

"We don't know. There's a lot we don't know and we're never going to find out everything now." Roy began to tell her what he and Hawkeye had found that night several months ago. Ed watched and listened. Roy wasn't leaving much out he realised, not that he blamed him with Izumi sitting there. Ed had never met anyone who wasn't affected by her. And you couldn't hide things from her either.

"And that cat?" she asked and Ed found himself pushing back into Roy for protection and his fingers smoothed along the golden fur.

"I think it belonged to Al," was all Roy replied and the cat looked from one to the other.

"That I can well believe. Al loves ..." She stopped suddenly and her hand went to her mouth. She began to choke and blood appeared between her fingers. Ed jumped onto the couch as Roy stood up quickly, almost running to the filing cabinet upon which the tissues were standing. He grabbed them and hurried back, thrusting them into her other hand.

"Havoc, go and get a towel or something. Breda, something to drink." He sat back down knowing she wouldn't appreciate him hovering over her.

Ed sat next to Roy and wondered what to do. That was his Teacher and he knew how sick she was. He made his mind up and jumped down, warily heading towards her. He leapt up beside her and leant against her side, purring automatically. He looked across and saw the dark eye watching him as Havoc came back with a cloth. Roy handed it to her.

"Do you need a doctor?" he asked already certain of her reply.

"No thanks," she managed to say as she leant back. Her breathing was rapid and she looked so white and shaky, but there was no sense of frailty about her. "My husband is arriving later. He takes care of me."

Ed stayed at her side, he wasn't about to jump on her lap. He knew the damage she had suffered from her experience with the Gate and knew this episode would pass. He didn't like it when she was suffering like this. She never expressed just how painful it was. Compared to her he had been lucky in a sense. Once his automail had been attached he had only to bear an ache that he had become used to. Hers struck without warning and left her weak and vulnerable, both conditions she hated.

He jumped when her fingers suddenly ran across his head and he looked up at her with a curious sounding miaow. She was gentle as she stroked him and he knew she had always loved children and animals. He purred softly and settled along the side of her leg.

"He's an affectionate little cat," she remarked and Roy looked from one to the other.

"Yes, but it's surprising that he has taken to you. Normally he's more aloof with other people."

"And you think he was Al's?" she asked as if trying to distract herself from her sudden bout of illness.

"Yes. He always seems to know when Al, and Ed as well are being discussed."

"Cats are very smart animals. And Al always had a way with them."

"That one is smarter than most I think," Roy said as he looked at it. Ed lifted his head and stared back before sniffing and deliberately yawning at him, before he put his head down on his front paws again.

"I see," Izumi commented as she watched. Their heads turned as Winry came back in with Hawkeye and Schieska. Izumi patted the couch on the other side in an invitation to the mechanic and Winry walked over and sat down.

Roy met the watery blue eyes and Winry glared at him. Her fingers were twisting over themselves and she was not trusting her voice yet. Roy knew that an apology was not what she wanted to hear. All she wanted at the moment was to have Ed and Al back. And that just wasn't possible.

"I told them both versions," Hawkeye said calmly.

"Ed would hate this." Winry spoke roughly, her voice cracking.

"Edward would understand the necessity of it," Roy responded. She had a claim on him because of what he had done so long ago. He could not refuse her.

"He would still hate it."

"I know that, Miss Rockbell." _We all do things we hate_, he thought, and he clamped down on the nightmares again.

"What arrangements have been made for the funerals?" Izumi asked, seeing Winry sink back into silence again.

"Full military ones for them both."

"Al was never military!" Winry came back to life again.

"I know, but we decided…"

"They should come home." She interrupted him.

"They aren't going to be in either place, Winry," Izumi said calmly and Winry turned a stricken look at her.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Winry's voice cracked again.

"Because I know that life only goes one way. And Edward and Alphonse learnt that lesson too. They understood grief and sorrow, but they also understood getting up and going forward. You think either of them would want you to wallow in self-pity over their leaving? It would be the last thing they would want."

"I don't care, they were my best friends! I loved them!" She rounded on Roy. "You could have kept them safe! You should have protected them better!"

The dark eye widened as her words echoed those from his nightmare. His breathing caught and Ed moved. He leapt across from one couch to the other, slipping onto Roy's lap and turning to growl at Winry. Roy was already blaming himself for every thing that had happened, he didn't need to have her say that as well. Why wasn't she listening to Teacher?

Winry stared at the little cat as Roy put his hand on its back and trailed his fingers along it.

"It's ok, little one," he murmured and looked at Winry. "What I should have done or could have done is not something I can go back and change. What matters is to protect them as best we can now." The little cat miaowed and leant back against Roy, settling itself comfortably.

"I don't think its Al's cat anymore," Izumi remarked. "That little one is yours."

The cat hissed at her. "Like hell I am!"

"You have a cat? That was Al's cat?" Winry stared at them all and then looked at the cat. "It has automail."

"Yes, we think it was a stray that Al picked up at some point."

"Can I look at it?"

Ed sighed. Winry and automail. He shifted back against Roy, not quite sure he wanted Winry anywhere near his leg.

"If he lets you."

Winry knelt on the floor and Ed watched as she lifted her hand and made kissy noises at him.

"Come on puss, let's have a look at your paw. Come on boy, let me see it."

Ed tilted his head and stared at her, before settling down on Roy's lap, the automail limb folded up under him. "Try again, Winry." He miaowed at her.

Roy watched as the cat refused all her overtures. He noticed that she was getting annoyed with the little animal. The longer the cat refused, the more her eyes lost that watery look and her mood swung slowly away from her earlier anger. He wondered if the little beast was doing it on purpose and wouldn't have put it past him. Izumi Curtis was watching closely as well but her eyes stayed calm as she met his look briefly before going back to study the cat.

* * *

"_Just what the fuck did you do?"_ Envy screamed.

His voice echoed around them. They were in a small room somewhere under Liore. Envy had dragged a comatose Wrath in here once he had recovered from being shot. The explosive reaction had dropped them both into one of the many secret passages that ran under the city and Envy had quickly moved them both away from the destroyed area as soon as he regained consciousness. He had taken his frustrations out on the unconscious Sin at first, but then he had had to wait for two days before Wrath had woken up. Once Wrath had opened his eyes, Envy had wasted no time in letting him know exactly how upset he was.

"I don't know!" Wrath yelled back at him. He didn't turn around to face the angry Sin. He stayed huddled against the wall. "I don't know! I don't know! I was scared and it just happened!"

"_It just happened?"_ Envy glared hard at the other Sin. "Look at me, Wrath. What you did is not possible, it doesn't just _happen_. Dammit, I said, _look at me_!" Envy stalked across and grabbed Wrath's shoulder, pulling him away from the wall, turning him and leaning over him.

"No! Don't touch me! No!" Wrath scrabbled back, trying to get free of Envy's grip, but Envy dug his fingers into Wrath's chin and forced Wrath's head up and he looked into Envy's eyes. Eyes that had once been purple and then hazel were now purple again, but they were overlaid with a green tinge. It was echoed by the lines that now tracked across his body. He would have welcomed the black lines Wrath had, or the red of Gluttony but he now had something completely alien. He had scales. Hard, but flexible, they shifted in iridescent tracks every time he moved.

"What were you thinking of, Wrath? What did you have in your head when you set that transmutation going?" Envy spoke in a low voice and Wrath shivered.

"I wasn't thinking of anything!" He protested again. "I just wanted to stop the soldiers!"

"I don't care about the soldiers, idiot!" Envy nearly spat at him. "What were you thinking about when you thought about me? Because that's what you did, Wrath. You thought something and it happened and that is _not_ supposed to be how it works! This is _your_ fault!"

"_It's what you looked like_!" Wrath shrieked and shoved Envy violently. He scrabbled away as Envy fell back, stumbling in his amazement at Wrath's reaction. "_Don't touch_ _me!_ I saw you, I saw _it_! _It's inside you!_"

* * *

Al potted another plant and noticed that Fraulein Gracia was looking out the window again. He smiled. Since their brief meeting the other week she had taken to watching for the shy officer.

Officer Hughes had spent five minutes in the shop, four of them apologising for having been in her way and for thinking she needed help _"when you are obviously more than capable of handling this situation and I'm just a silly man for having been worried and I'm just going to leave now and not get in your way again."_ She had smiled at him and that had stopped his babbling long enough for him to tentatively smile back.

She had picked one of the carnations from the bench using her nails to remove the flower from it's long stem and had stepped forward and slipped it into his lapel buttonhole.

"Thank you," she had said and he had clicked his heels together, reaching for her hand and letting his mouth just brush over the back of her hand. He had suddenly turned red and left, even his ears burning at his forward behaviour.

He hadn't entered the shop since then but he did wave as he went past on his patrol. And she made sure to watch out for him to be able to wave back. But today he hadn't appeared. Her eyes went to the clock and then back outside. He was late and she wondered if he was alright.

She showed Al how to arrange a simple bouquet, her eyes going from clock to window and back again. It was getting late and after Al left, she found herself standing by the window still watching for him. He never came.

* * *

_Fingers snapped and flames spread without care. From person to person, from ghost to ghost. Maes burnt time after time as Roy snapped, tears he refused to acknowledge falling from his eyes. He hated his eyes. He could see them, always standing there, always burning. Maes, the Rockbells, and now the Elrics. _

"_Why didn't you save us?" "Why didn't you help?" "You were my friend."_

_They burnt, arching and twisting into grotesque forms as muscles and tendons pulled taut in the heat. And they kept coming back. He had to snap and snap until only ashes remained and still they came back. _

_He couldn't run, he couldn't hide. They found him every time. They pointed bloody hands at him and mocked his tears. He couldn't deny them. He couldn't ignore them._

"_I trusted you, you bastard." Golden eyes glared at him._

"…_sorry, I'm sorry, sorry, so sorry, I'm sorry …" He repeated the words over and over again as if they would help, as if somehow, someone would hear them. As if someone would accept them._

"…_sorry, sorry…"_

Edward rubbed his head against Roy's as the man once again knelt on the floor beside the toilet. He was slumped over, his arms stretched along the sides of the bowl as his head hung down, his forehead flush against the front of the porcelain.

"…sorry, sorry…" The same words he had been muttering since he had run from his bed to vomit, slipped out between his parched lips again.

Ed stretched upwards and felt the tears soak into his fur.

* * *

Major Armstrong and Warrant Officer Falman were met at the train station by Brigadier-General Mustang and his staff, Winry and Schieska, and an honour guard drawn from all branches of the Military. A small golden cat sat near the Brigadier-General's boots.

They stood in silence as the two weighted and flag draped coffins were taken carefully from the train and then followed in a solemn procession to the waiting cars outside. Once everyone was in their designated car, the small motorcade drove slowly to Central Headquarters where the coffins would stay until the funeral tomorrow.

Roy looked out at the people who were stopping to point and stare. He didn't know how the people of Liore were reacting, but in Central the official story had been received with little questioning. People here had not seen the actual devastation of alchemy gone wrong and had only heard stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist. There had been several demands for the military to find whoever was responsible.

There had been stronger calls for action from East City where the Elrics had been very popular and very well-known. Roy had received a lot of phone calls from former colleagues demanding he do something. He had passed them all on to General Ashlen.

His gloved fingers ran over the little cat who was content to stay in his lap and not on the back of the seat as he usually did. He looked down and found the cat looking up at him. He nearly smiled but smiling was something he hadn't done since he had heard of the Elric's deaths. The little thing helped get him through the long days and the even longer nights.

Roy felt Riza's eyes on his again. She was worried, he could see it in her face. She wanted to help, she wanted him to talk to her, to share things. He knew he needed to do something, Roy Mustang was not a stupid man. But not yet. He wasn't going to do anything until after the funerals. He needed every bit of his self-control intact if he was going to make it through them. He didn't have time for a breakdown yet.

He left the car as the door opened and the cat stayed on his arm this time as he stood in place, watching as the coffins were carried into the building. Another point against him with Riza, he thought. She still wasn't that fond of the little thing.

His sigh went unnoticed as they were dismissed and he led his crew back to their office. Falman and Armstrong went with them and it took five minutes before they were settled in the office and preparing to listen to the report.

Most of what Armstrong told them, they already knew. It was hearing of the actual destruction that shook them, to hear exactly how the Elric's had died that caused them to lower their eyes.

"I still hear that scream," Armstrong said slowly. "He knelt there and you could feel as well as hear the anger and the pain coming from him. When… when everything fell, it was still ringing in my ears."

"There's no chance that they… that they survived?" Fuery asked.

"No. They were in the centre of the reaction. That whole area was completely deconstructed. The heat from that transmutation melted everything together. Heat like that…nothing survives heat like that."

* * *

Envy scratched at his arm. The scales itched and he often found himself scratching at them. He didn't like them. They made him feel strange and Wrath's declaration that he had seen something _in_ Envy worried him as well. Envy had been around alchemists for most of his life and his un-life as well and he knew of nothing like this. These scales and the alchemy Wrath had performed were beyond his comprehension. Against his better judgement he knew he was going to have to return to the underground city in Central.

The thought of Wrath in the same place as that array made his skin crawl, but it was the only place he could think of that might hold any answers. Dante had kept a lot of books there and if he couldn't find any answers in them, the Libraries were there as were alchemists.

All he needed to do was get out of Liore. And that was proving to be difficult. He hadn't been able to leave their underground den because of his scales, and the one time Wrath had gone, the young Sin had come back and curled up shaking for nearly an hour. Wrath had brought back a paper and Envy had read it. The thought that everyone had believed him to be Al and Wrath to be Ed still amused him. _Humans are so gullible_ he thought. His ruse had paid off, except now that everyone believed they were dead it was going to be harder to walk around. The grainy pictures in the paper meant that everyone knew what he looked like now.

Wrath had stolen some robes and he could hide his appearance but security around Liore had been tightened. All searching for the purported assassins of the Elrics. Envy wondered what they'd do if he and Wrath suddenly appeared and claimed to have survived that explosion. He smirked. The possibilities were enormous as to the trouble he could cause. But he was locked into this shape, he'd have to continue it. And Envy did not want to be Alphonse Elric for the rest of his endless life.

Central held other possibilities for him. He had recognised some of the names in the paper and it wouldn't hurt to nose around and see exactly what had changed now Pride was no longer there. He might not be able to change his shape anymore, but there were other things he could do. His only problem was Wrath.

He looked at the Sin and frowned. The youth was sleeping. Envy could see the bruises he had inflicted earlier. It was something else he had to look into he thought. _Wrath only ever bruises on the limbs he took from pipsqueak, never on his own body. I wonder what would happen if he lost that arm and leg._

Envy scratched again and sighed, looking at his arm. _Just what the fuck is this? It's all that damned pipsqueak's fault. If he hadn't set that array off, none of this would've happened. When I get back to Central, I'm going to use his corpse as a punching bag._

* * *

Fraulein Gracia smiled as the tall lanky man came into view. She let her breath out. He had not walked his patrol for two days and as he came closer she could see the reason why. His left arm was caught up in a sling and there was a bruise down one side of his face.

"Herr Hughes," she said softly, leaving her shop as he came closer and he stopped.

"Fraulein." His face began to redden and she looked at his arm.

"I was …We were worried about you, Officer. I'm sorry to see you hurt. I hope it's nothing serious?"

"No, it's just a small twist, there's really nothing to worry about, it happens all the time."

"But your face as well?"

"It's part of the job, Fraulein."

They stared at each other and then he suddenly moved.

"I must do my patrol, Fraulein."

"Oh, of course. Perhaps on your next walk past you would stop and allow me to replace your buttonhole?"

"An officer is not supposed to wear such things when in uniform," he said slightly pedantically and her face dropped slightly. "But I would like that much," he added quietly, his face going red again.

They shared a hesitant smile and he walked away after saluting her. Gracia walked back into her shop and searched for the best carnation she could find. For him.

* * *

There was no right weather for a funeral, Roy thought as he stood in place watching the matching coffins being lowered into the ground. If the sun shined it was thought inappropriate and so clichéd. If it rained everyone just felt more miserable. Perhaps this cloudy sky was the best he could have asked for. No sun to insult his sorrow, no rain to drown in. Although drowning had its appeal. Maybe then the nightmares would stop. Wasn't the rain supposed to wash away your sins? He doubted there was enough rain to wash away his.

It couldn't have been more than a year since he had last stood here. He had watched his best friend disappear that time. But this time it was harder. They had been so young. Despite everything, despite their ability to rise above, to keep on going, they had still been young. So damned young. Roy had never felt his age so much as he did right now.

Havoc and Hawkeye stood just behind him. After that first shared look they had kept their eyes forward. The Brigadier-General had been pale and his face appeared thinner. His manner was polite and reserved and he had stood there and greeted people as required without allowing any emotion to show. The little cat had been beside him and was getting its fair share of looks as well, and it was still there by his boots. It kept looking around and it refused to leave Roy's side.

Hawkeye watched as it looked up at Roy and then around again before looking forward to where the dirt was being filled in. She found it hard to comprehend that the Elrics were not going to come bursting and clanking into the office anymore. They had always returned. Always. No matter where they had gone or what had happened, they had always come back. She heard the muted thud of dirt against wood. They weren't coming back this time.

She kept her eyes focused straight ahead but she couldn't stop her ears from hearing the muted sobs from Winry and the unsteady breathing of those around her. Her own breathing wasn't exactly even either and only the years of self-control kept her from following Winry, although she was well aware that later tonight she would be holding onto Hayate as the tears fell. Her eyes flickered against her will to the back of Roy's head. He wasn't the only one who needed someone to talk to, she realised.

Havoc wanted a smoke. He wanted the Brigadier-General to light it with his alchemy, he wanted Hawkeye to shoot at them as they did that, he wanted Al to lecture him about how bad smoking was and he wanted Ed to laugh and insult them both as the flame singed his nose. He wanted things to be different to this. He wanted what was no longer possible. He wanted the past.

He hadn't seen Mustang use his alchemy since that night and he hadn't seen him smile in a week. Hawkeye hadn't shot at anyone this week either and her rare smiles had nearly disappeared. And, his breath caught, Ed and Al were never going to come back. Havoc blinked hard. He knew there was a bottle with his name on it at his dorm and he was going to be cuddling it all night.

Ed looked around again. He had never been to a military funeral before and its formality dismayed him slightly. He could see people were upset but they weren't able to show it. His mother's had been a simple affair and although he had kept his own tears locked up tight, he had seen theirs. Only Winry was doing that this time. She had done it last time as well.

It was surreal watching them place the marble, one upright with his name on it and the other over the now filled in hole. He looked from his to Al's. Now that made his fur rise. To see his brother's name on a tombstone was worse than seeing his own. He kept listening to every report Roy received from Liore. Nothing had come through, but he knew. Al was alive, well as alive as homunculi could be, but there was no way he could have died. Ed just wasn't going to believe that. His tail twitched and he took a deep breath.

He looked up at Roy. He didn't know how the man did it. It was not obvious that Roy had spent half the night curled up on the bathroom floor. The nightmares that had sent him there didn't show in his pale face, and only Ed knew how many tries it had taken him to button his jacket up and to affix his medal bar. But once the knock at the door had come and Havoc had arrived, the mask had appeared. Smooth, bland, polite and firmly fixed in place. It never slipped, not once.

But Ed knew that sometime during the coming night, they would end up in the bathroom again.

People began leaving, their conversations muted and the occasional throat being cleared. Winry, Izumi and a large man he assumed was her husband approached Mustang and they stared at each other in silence before Izumi nodded at him and led them away.

Mustang's crew stood around him for a long moment before he turned to acknowledge them.

"We're going to the usual place," Breda said awkwardly, and Roy nodded. He knew the little bar they frequented regularly.

"Maybe later," he said already knowing he had no intention of going.

They began to move away and Hawkeye hesitated, looking up at him.

"Roy?" she asked softly. She couldn't see any signs of the tears he had refused to admit to last time.

"Yes Riza?"

"Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you." He didn't smile at her but his voice dropped slightly.

"Well, if you need to talk or anything."

"I know where you are," he said almost lightly. He looked at the others disappearing. "I'll be fine," he repeated.

"How are you getting back?" she asked, knowing he had driven in with the Generals and they had been among the first to leave.

"I'll walk. It's not that far."

"Roy…we'll give you a lift." She made the offer, hoping he would accept.

He shook his head. "I'll stay a bit longer. I want to see Maes as well."

It was in his voice. Nothing she could say was going to make him leave here until he was ready. While she was disappointed at his decision, she was relieved to hear the determination. She had worried that he was slipping into an apathetic state that he was hiding from her, but that firmness gave her a small degree of comfort. She looked down at the little cat and for the first time its presence reassured her. He wouldn't do anything stupid with that thing beside him. She nodded at it and it miaowed back at her.

"We will be fine, Riza," he said a third time and she believed him. She nodded slightly and didn't smile.

"I will hold you to that, Roy." She said as she turned away and walked to where the others were waiting.

Ed watched her disappear down the hill before stretching and walking over to have a closer look at his tombstone. He walked around it, feeling his paws sinking into the soft earth. He left a trail of paw-prints over the flat slab before leaping up to balance on the upstanding stone. They had made him a Lieutenant-Colonel. Al would have laughed at that and would have tried to get him to wear a uniform.

Al. He jumped down and went across to Al's stone. He left his footprints on the slab because he knew Al would like that and he sat on it to look at the inscription

'_Devoted brother of Edward Elric.' _Well, they got that right. Al had been…no, _is_ the best brother anyone could have. No matter what he was like now, Al was his brother and always would be.

Roy watched the little beast and sighed.

Once he would have said that even death could not stop Edward Elric. Once he had believed that.

Once he had believed in hope.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for being patient with me… as you can no doubt tell, this chapter is long, longer than usual for this little one… and it concentrates heavily on what is happening in Central…Thank you for supporting and commenting as always…

I hope everyone had a good and safe New Year…

silken :)


	13. Depression

**Felis Arcanum**

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Depression**

"If you can't do it, I'll do it for you." Alphonse Elric was irritated and it was very evident in his voice.

"I didn't say I couldn't do it," Alfons Heiderich snapped back, not turning around to look at the younger blond.

"Do you intend to do it today?" Al asked and Alfons' shoulders twitched.

"I'll do it when I'm ready," he almost snarled back. "You're an impatient brat!"

"We've been out here an hour. You're scared."

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Why don't you just go home?" Alfons asked desperately.

"This is home, you idiot!" Al shook his head and pointed at the door. "Get in there before I drag you in there!"

"I'm scared."

"I know that. Ignore it and walk, Alfons!"

"You're a heartless kid, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes." Al took a deep breath and placed his hands square in the middle of Alfons' back. "Walk or push. Your choice." He pushed forward slightly and Alfons had to step forward or fall flat on his face.

"Alright, alright. I'm walking," Alfons grumbled and took the next few steps. He stopped and sighed. "You can stop pushing now, Al."

"Not until you get in there and the door is closed behind you," Al said firmly and Alfons could have sworn Al was smiling.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he accused.

"Yes." Al's smile was evident in his voice. "We're nearly there. There's nothing to be scared of. I swear, you're worse than my brother sometimes."

They both stopped and Alfons felt Al's hands tighten on the back of his jacket. The smile was gone. Alfons knew that without turning. He took a step back and felt Al right behind him. He was not surprised when Al's head suddenly pressed against his shoulder.

"One day you'll find a way to get back, Al," Alfons said softly and he felt the slight shuddering as Al took a deep breath. "I know you miss him and I know he's missing you."

"He'd better be." Al's voice was muffled against Alfons' jacket.

"Of course he is. He's your brother." Alfons waited a moment and then spoke again. "Push me Al."

"What?"

"Push me. Push me through that door. Let's go do this."

Al was silent for a long minute. "Anyone would think you're having all your teeth out if you phrase it like that."

"It feels like it," Alfons muttered under his breath.

"It's a judgment on me I think. To have to be with people who are scared at the silliest things." Al suddenly spoke louder and straightened up.

"It's not a silly thing" Alfons protested, even as he heard the smile returning to Al's voice.

"You know she's going to say yes, so just get in there and propose," and Al pushed. Alfons wasn't prepared for it and stumbled forward, tripping on the step and colliding with the front door.

"Just like Ed," Al muttered with a smile.

* * *

Ed stared at his brother's name. Carved in the marble, elegant and simple. They'd put the military insignia on his own headstone, but they'd left Al's bare and for that he was grateful. He'd been the one on the leash. He didn't want anyone to think Al had been restrained as well. Al didn't deserve that stigma. Al was his brother, they had written that there. It was all he wanted to be there. He could have wished for his to have been this simple. His tie to Al being the only one he wanted to acknowledge.

He sighed and stood up, walking forward to butt his head gently against the cold marble headstone. _I know you're not here, Al. I know you're not even human anymore but you are, you will always be my brother. I don't think there's any way to return you back to what you were, but there has to be something I can do. I have to find you, to see what you've become. I have to trust that you will remember me, that you'll know who I am. I love you Brother. Envy's with you, I know he can't stay hidden. Something will happen and when it does, I will find you. Even if I have to drag the stupid bastard with me, I will find you and we'll find a way to fix this. There has to be something. I will not accept that it's going to be like this forever. There has to be a way out of this. For you and for me._

Roy watched the small cat as it leant its head against the stone. It hadn't left his side throughout the whole service and he wondered what it was thinking. How much did he understand of what was going on? _He probably understands more than I. Al's cat. I hope he knew how devoted you were to him. Did Ed know about you? I'm never going to know, am I? So hard to believe, to accept. _Roy looked at the engraved name on the headstone. _No more kicking my door down, no more stomping footsteps, no more dents on my desk from that hand of yours. No more insults. Who will call me a bastard now you're not here? Stubborn brat, always having to do everything on your own. I thought we'd reached an understanding. Who's going to keep me going now? I've never been able to say goodbye and I can't say it now. Damn you Ed, why didn't you come to me?_

Roy stared at the headstones, not really seeing them. There was an aching feel behind his empty eye socket and there was a line of remembered moisture chilling on his cheek. Somehow he was breathing and remaining upright. Numb. He was numb. All the tears and guilt from the nights before were tucked away behind the numbness that engulfed him.

_There's no-one left now. I can break down, I can fall apart. There's no one to see. _"You'd like that, Ed, wouldn't you? I could say all the things I never said when you were alive. You could see me as the miserable excuse that I am. That you always saw me as. Even that moment when I thought we finally understood each other, you'd ignore it right now, wouldn't you, like you ignored so many things."

Ed kept his head against the cool marble and listened as Mustang began to speak. The voice was quiet, almost empty and Edward's ears twitched. He knew that tone of voice. It was the voice you used when you looked at yourself and decided how broken you were. It was the voice you used when you thought you were being honest with yourself. It was the voice you used when you found the reasons why you should be completely hated and pitied. It was the voice of lies, lies so false they became truth.

"Are you happy knowing that I still can't ignore you? That even now, I'm having to lie and cover up for you? Cover up for both of us. Which of us is the biggest sinner here, Ed? Your fifty dead against my hundreds? What you attempted and I couldn't? You saw all your dreams work out, even if it was only briefly. Mine are all ashes, just like everything else in my life. I'm left with nothing but ashes. It's all so damned pointless in the end, isn't it."

Roy looked up at the sky and then back down to the headstone. "It ends here for you. The rest of us have to keep going. I think I hate you for that. Do you expect me to do what you should be here doing? Seeking revenge? Finding out who did this? To be honest, Edward, I can't be bothered. Because right now I don't think there's anything that really means much to me."

Ed turned around and looked at the pale man. He didn't think Roy was aware of him anymore. He was staring fixedly at the headstone but it was a blank stare. He wasn't seeing what he was looking at. Ed thought he should be offended at what Roy was saying, but he recognised it all too well. He had felt similar after Nina had died. It was that sort of feeling that had led him to handing his watch back. Until he had begun to think straight again. He wondered how long Roy would take and then wondered when the bastard had become Roy. He shrugged that thought aside for now. There would be time for that later. Right now he was unsure what he should do.

There wasn't much he could do, not as he was now. He looked at the dirt and wondered if he should start scratching out his name. He idly drew a line in front of him. 'Hey Roy, I'm not dead, I'm a cat, it's a long story, tell you when we get home.' He frowned. Could he, should he do that? He looked back at Roy. How would he react? Especially when he realised Edward had been with him all this time. Edward let his breath out. He didn't know what to do.

Half of him wanted to say something, the other half didn't. He was comfortably placed to hear and see everything but if they knew he was here, would they tell him more? As far as he could see, he already knew everything they did. Probably more, as he also had his kitchen gossip source. And what would they do if he told them any of that? The phones were already tapped. The surveillance would continue, even Ed could see that. Cresson was planning to take over, of course he was going to keep looking at Roy and his crew. But he could warn them, he could let them know what was going on. And then what would they do? Could they even do anything? And did he want them to know he was here? What would happen if one of them let it slip? He was going to have to let them know at some time. Should he do it now, or wait until later?

What would happen when Envy and Al reappeared? They'd have to come out of wherever they were at some point. Envy especially. From what he remembered, the Sin had had a shorter temper than even he had had. Envy was not going to be happy with what had happened and he would certainly do something about it. And Cresson had been a confidante of Fuhrer Bradley. How deep had the ties been between Envy and Pride? Cresson wouldn't know about the homunculi, Envy would've worn a different face. He could've been anyone. If Envy came back to Central and got in touch with Cresson…and he had Al with him. Nightmare didn't begin to cover what that would be. Ed dropped his head. How could he even begin to explain this to them? By the time he finished, even his automail claws would've worn down. And would they believe him? The bastard might. He had fought Pride and he must've seen something. He swallowed. Then there was Teacher. His fur rose at that thought.

Footsteps had him looking up. Roy was walking away, moving between the headstones but not towards the gate. Ed frowned and began to follow. He stopped and looked back at his brother's engraved name. He went back and reached up to leave a paw mark beside it. _I know you're not here, Al, but I am, okay? If you ever see this… well, you won't know what it means, but I will. No matter what, I love you Brother._

He turned around and looked for Mustang and caught sight of the tall figure. He hadn't gone too far and Ed scampered easily to catch up with him. He stayed behind him as the man began to slow and Ed could almost feel the feel the reluctance surrounding Mustang.

Roy came to a stop in front of another marble headstone and his jaw worked silently for a moment before he took a deep breath.

"It's been a while, old friend." Ed looked at the headstone and froze. Maes Hughes. "Quite a bit has happened since I saw you last."

* * *

Envy kept the hood pulled close around his face and made sure his hands were completely covered. He didn't want anyone to see either his face or the scaly lines. He kept to the shadows and moved carefully through the streets. He didn't like being out here. He was uneasy and there were soldiers everywhere.

He had timed his outing to coincide with a small sandstorm, giving him a perfect excuse to stay wrapped up. The only drawback was that most people had sought shelter from the sand-laden wind and he had no crowds to hide in. He had managed to steal another two robes and had them tucked under his arm as he worked his way past the main military depot.

It looked as if he and Wrath were going to have to walk out of Liore. The only transports leaving were military trucks and they were being closely monitored. Both civilians and soldiers were being searched before they were allowed on.

Envy kept walking and headed towards the outskirts of the city. He leant against a wall and looked out at the seemingly endless desert. He saw a military patrol going past and then frowned when another went past a bare five minutes later. He waited and fifteen minutes later the two patrols went past again.

Envy sighed. They were going to have to stay here a bit longer it appeared. Give them another week, he thought. That should be long enough for them to start getting a little bit slack in their duties. He looked at the paper he had stolen.

The funerals were being held today in Central. Envy smirked. Maybe he should drag the pipsqueak's corpse out and leave it hanging in front of Central Headquarters. He knew the little shit was still lying on that array in the underground city. The bastard had died and his corpse would be rotting nicely by now. Envy nearly laughed. Wrath was going to be very upset with that. He had always wanted the brat's other limbs.

Envy watched the patrols pass again. Yes, another week for the stupid soldiers to get bored and tired of all these extra precautions and it would be easier for them to leave.

* * *

Ed stared at the engraved name and his claws dug into the grass. Hughes. The Colonel had covered it up, had not told them about the man's death; had let them think he was alive and well. Ever since he had fallen into Hughes' arm when he had tumbled from that train roof, he had trusted him. Even as he had protested at the never-ending photos and cheerfully insulted everything the man had ever done, he had known that behind that frivolous manner there had been a mind sharper than his own. And it had been that mind that had led him somewhere he should never have gone. It had led him to a lonely death.

_I should never have told you about the homunculi, I should never have said anything. It's all my fault that you died. Dammit, why did you have to die? It's not fair. You were more than a friend. I trusted you. _

"How do I tell you this, Maes? How do I tell you they're gone? You watched over them just as much as I did. We saw them grow up. Only you will know if they grow any further. Only you can watch over them now. They trusted you more than me. I failed you, I failed them."

_Stupid idiot. We were going to come back and see you. We had to come back to thank Mrs Hughes for that pie. You were supposed to be there as well. You, Elysia…dammit Hughes! You were our family! _

"Everything we worked for, all those sacrifices. It's all gone. There's nothing left. I can't even make your death mean anything now. It's all so empty and pointless, this… nothingness now. There's no purpose any more, Maes. I know there are games being played, I can sense it, but I really don't care now. I should be trying to protect Riza and the others now, but…what if I fail them too, Maes? How many more people will I let die?"

_It's not fair, Hughes. You should be here. Roy needs you. They all need you. But Roy…he really needs you. Dammit, I'd be clapping myself stupid right now if I knew I could bring you back to help him. Fuck. I never learn,do I Hughes?_

"I see you, Maes. Every night I see you. Every night I… With perfect eyes, I see you and I… I see them too. And every time I see you and them and all those… all those… dammit Maes! You said you'd always be here! They're _dead_, Maes! _You're_ dead, and I have nothing to show for any of it!"

The anger that flared briefly in Roy died even quicker, swamped under regret and guilt. He stared at the headstone, shoulders slumping slightly. The accusations that were hurled at him in his nightmares were loud in his head. He saw their faces projected onto the cold marble, staring and pointing at him as he stood there. He lifted his gloved hand, fingers poised to snap. His hand shook. There was an aching pressure behind his eyes and his hand shook. His gloves were plain white and his hand shook. He closed his eye and he still saw them and he saw his hand raised, this time encased in his arrayed glove. His hand still shook and he couldn't make his fingers snap.

Ed frowned and looked around at Roy. He had stopped speaking and stood there, arm outstretched, his eye closed and he was shaking. His face was pale and his breathing had quickened. The frown that crossed that white face looked pained and the shaking increased. The thin lips parted and Ed could hear Roy's breathing becoming uneven. Ed had seen Roy in this pose many times. He had been the target of his flame on most of those occasions. And always the look on Roy's face had been one of pure pleasure and enjoyment. Whether because he had been aiming at Ed or from the joy of his craft, Ed didn't know, but Ed had always seen an expression of relaxed exultation on that face. Roy Mustang, in those moments had been the most beautiful creature of alchemy personified.

And Ed only realised that now as he saw the opposite. This was the face that Roy wore in his nightmares, this was the face in that split second before he awoke and went to vomit every night. Hurting and tormented, betrayed by the very thing that was his greatest gift. He looked from the face that began to show more and more of Roy's inner strain to the fingers that shook and didn't snap. Now he knew how Mustang had looked in Ishbal. Now he knew what his own face would have been had he laid his hands on that array in Lab Five. The nightmares had come out into the open and Roy was struggling with his as Ed watched.

He turned around and began to scratch at the marble slab. He dug his automail claw into the stone and dragged it down, frowning at the thin line. It was barely noticeable and he tried again. A white line on white marble. He could just see it and as he dug his claw deeper, he wondered how he could make it clearer. He looked up at Roy. The man was still shaking. Ed miaowed loudly trying to get his attention and scratched again.

_This would have been much easier at my grave, bastard. There's loose soil there, not fucking stone!_ Ed cursed as he tried again. Neither marble nor man was responding properly. Despite his misgivings about revealing himself, he couldn't think of anything else to do at the moment. He miaowed yet again and was startled when Roy suddenly dropped to his knees.

"I can't…I …can't…" Ed's ears perked at the soft words and he turned from the marble slab. Roy was staring at his gloved hands as if he had never seen them before. Ed frowned. There was a strange expression on Roy's face and it made him uneasy. "No more. Never again." Ed tilted his head, and tentatively miaowed. The dark eye focused on him and he saw the watery sheen overlaying that desolate gaze. "No more, little one. I won't kill them any more."

With a sharp movement, Roy pulled the gloves from his hands. He let them fall on the ground in front of him and as the water in his eye finally overflowed, it began to rain.

* * *

Al grinned as he stood by the bookcase and watched Alfons and Noa dancing around the small parlour to the music from the radio. They were smiling at each other and seemed reluctant to let go of each other for even for the briefest moments of the dance.

"They look very happy, Al." Gracia spoke from beside him and Al's grin widened. He had invited her here to celebrate Noa and Alfons' engagement.

"Yes." He turned to her. "Thank you for the flowers. Noa has been wearing them in her hair ever since Alfons gave them to her."

Gracia smiled. "I recognised them. I am so glad to see them so happy. They will do well together."

"And it will be your turn next?" Al asked slyly and Gracia blushed as she frowned at him.

"Shush Alphonse!" se said sternly, but not sternly enough and they both ended up smiling before looking across to where an out of uniform Officer Hughes was talking to Hohenheim. Al had also invited him to this small gathering. These five people were his family now.

"You're not going to say you don't like him, are you Gracia?" Al asked softly. "I mean, he follows you just about everywhere lately. He really does like you."

"I know and I like him too, Al." Gracia's smile was gentle. "There's no hurry for these matters."

"Given how slow he is, it's good that you feel like that, Gracia," Al remarked. "I would've thought you would've gone to dinner at last once by now."

Gracia laughed. "It will happen." And she pointed at him. "And no interfering either, Alphonse. You stay right out of it."

"Gracia, I wouldn't do that," Al protested weakly and falsely, having already had devised several plans to get them to go out together. Gracia laughed again.

"Liar." She put her hand on his arm. "I don't need it to go any faster than it is."

"Gracia, you're like my family now. I just want you to be happy."

"I know. I know you want me…us to be happy and I am happy, Al. I know you care and I thank you for that. You're my family too."

Hohenheim watched as Gracia hugged his son and smiled as he saw the man beside him stiffen.

"Fraulein Gracia looks particularly lovely this evening," he said easily and felt the sharp glance from those almost yellow eyes.

"Yes she is." Hughes spoke abruptly, a line of pink across his face.

"She gets on so well with Al. She's become like a mother to him," Hohenheim continued, his eyes still looking at Al and his voice deliberately casual. He felt Officer Hughes tense up further and managed to keep his smile hidden. "Perhaps one day…" he murmured, letting his voice die away.

"Excuse me, Herr Hohenheim," Hughes said abruptly, clicking his heels together and almost stalking across the room to Gracia.

"You're excused, Officer," Hohenheim said easily to no-one and watched as the tall man bowed and invited Gracia to dance. Al looked confused as his conversation was interrupted but smiled brightly when Gracia nodded her acceptance of Hughes' invitation. Al walked over to stand by his father as Gracia and Hughes began to dance.

"What did you do?" Al asked in a low voice.

"Me? Nothing at all, my son. Nothing at all." Hohenheim met his son's sceptical look with a bland, almost innocent expression in his eyes. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"Not at all, Dad. Not at all." They shared a conspiratorial smile before looking back at the others.

* * *

Roy stared at his discarded gloves as the rain fell. Water dripped from his hair and down his face. He barely felt it seeping through his coat and into his uniform. Plain white gloves and he couldn't wear them. There were no arrays and he couldn't bear to wear them because his mind saw the arrays that weren't there. He didn't want to kill them again, he didn't want to see them burning from his flames and without his gloves he was useless. He was harmless. He was _safe._ _They_ were safe.

The water from his face dripped onto his bare hands, tears and rain alike slipping onto his cold fingers. His hands weren't shaking anymore. Now the gloves were gone they were still. Cold and empty and still. Like the rest of him. He had wished earlier for rain to drown in and his wish had been granted, but just as he had suspected, it wasn't enough, it would never be enough to drown in. He had been in these places before. After Ishbal he had seen these grey shades, he knew what they were and he didn't care now. They could come for him and take what little bit of soul he had left and he didn't care.

"I shouldn't have let Ed go alone," he murmured at his hands. "I should have died that night." A small miaow had him blinking against the wetness of his eye and he looked around to find the source of the sound.

The little cat was shivering as it huddled on the marble slab, an automail claw scratching at the stone. He was bedraggled and his golden brightness had been lost to the water that had soaked into his fur. Drops of water hung from his whiskers and even his ears were weighed down. The way the fur was plastered to him showed just how small and thin the little beast was and he shook as he tried to make a deeper mark in the marble.

"Little one," Roy whispered and the cat miaowed back. "I'm sorry." Roy inched forward on his knees to pick up the shivering cat and held it against him. Water soaked through the front of his coat and when the cat shook, so did he. He was aware of the rain falling but like everything else at the moment, it was distant and not really important enough for him to concentrate on. The cat shivered again and he simply held it closer as he looked at the engraved name and let the rain wash away his tears.

* * *

"Do you think we can remove one of these struts?" Alfons asked as he and Al looked over the drawings.

"Possibly, but we still need something there to brace that other beam. The tank will shift if we don't."

Pencils came out and they began sketching in the possible changes as they talked. Alfons concentrated better now, Al thought. Getting engaged had been the best thing for him and his good mood had flowed on to their project. Alfons worked harder and if he hurried some days, Al merely grinned and knew it was because he wanted to leave early to be with Noa.

Their first prototype was nearly completed. And Fraulein Eckhart had brought over new plans for an aircraft that combined some of their rocketry with established aircraft design. Both Al and Alfons had stayed up late going over them, adding and changing as they saw fit, much to Fraulein Eckhart's amusement and Hohenheim's misgivings.

"…saying he has a point, Herr Hohenheim." Al looked up briefly as Officer Hughes came into the room with his father.

"Perhaps he does, Herr Hughes, but to me, he is lacking in facts to back it up. Pretty words alone won't bring about changes." There was a tiredness in his father's voice and Al watched as the old man sat down, almost sinking into his chair. He knew his dad had been working on the arrays a lot lately. This evening his father and Office Hughes had gone to a political meeting at the closest beerhall and judging from their talk, dad was not that impressed. Al shrugged slightly. Politics was a strange unknown world and he had no wish to learn anything about it. Physics and math were all he wanted to think about.

Noa brought in coffee and served everyone as they kept on talking. Al half-listened along with Noa. Alfons was looking at the drawings, muttering weight ratios and completely uninterested in anything else.

"The Treaty reparations are to blame for a lot of the economic problems, Herr Hohenheim. There are rumours that we have already defaulted on the payments and it is said the French will take the Ruhr from us. The Reichstag can not give us what we should have. It doesn't seem able to get us out of this pit."

"Secret treaties, if they are correct in their information, are not the way to begin rebuilding a nation. It sets a precedent." Hohenheim remarked. "And if it is now becoming no longer a secret, there is a real possibility of it being detrimental to everyone."

"We will be left with nothing anyway, if we just accept that this state of affairs has to continue."

"Change doesn't have to be forced. It will come anyway, regardless of what happens."

"But there are those that will deny us those changes and progress and will try everything to stop it."

"And you believe that little man's talk of Jewish conspiracies and Communist pressures?" Hohenheim asked, genuine curiousity in his voice.

"Yes," Officer Hughes replied. "They seem little affected by the inflation that hurts the rest of us. There are many in my patrol area that can barely survive and even this new currency they're talking of releasing won't help them."

"The Jews have always been a careful people," Hohenheim said carefully.

"That may be, but they're not willing to share. You never see any of them out helping the people who are really suffering. Fraulein Gracia is always giving more than she should to those less fortunate. If she can do it, why can't they? What do they have to hide?"

Hohenheim didn't let his sudden unease show on his face. He saw the signs. Xenophobia. There was a racial pride in the German people he had noticed. From their earliest days when they had held the Roman Empire at bay, they had also been fiercely independent. The reparations and loss of dignity forced on them after the Great War by the Allies rankled and they would be more than willing to find someone to blame. Hohenheim knew exactly how it would go. Native xenophobia would be manipulated and it would be hidden beneath jealousy at first. But later it would become fear. And then the inevitable result. Genocide.

Hohenheim was intimately acquainted with genocide, a long time ago he had engineered it, and he looked at Al. He would not allow his son to stay here and be a witness to it. He looked at Noa and saw her staring at Alfons. Hohenheim didn't know if she had seen the threat to herself yet, but she would sympathise with anyone being persecuted. His lips tightened. He had to find a way to save Al, to save them all if he could.

* * *

Edward sneezed and huddled into the blanket. He felt absolutely miserable and he shivered again despite the warmth he was surrounded in. He didn't know how long Roy had knelt in the rain yesterday but it had been long enough to give Ed the feline equivalent of the flu.

By the time they had gotten home yesterday, both had been frozen and soaked. Roy had lit the fire with matches and had sat in front of it for over an hour rubbing and trying to warm the little shivering cat. They had spent most of the night in front of it, barely moving except when the nightmares had struck and Roy had gone running to the bathroom. Ed hadn't been able to follow.

He hadn't been able to take four steps before he had collapsed and lain there wondering why his head felt as if it had left his body. He had lifted his paw with a vague thought of scratching his name in the floor, but he had found that his automail was suddenly very heavy and he seemed to have two right paws as well. It was about then that he realised he was feverish and he had slipped into a semi-conscious state of continual hot and cold flushes.

The next thing he knew he was in the office, wrapped in his blanket and being held against Roy's chest.

"You should have stayed home, Sir." The stern voice echoed in his ears and he opened a bleary eye and stared at an out of focus Hawkeye standing in front of the desk. "There's really nothing you can do here, Roy," she said in a gentler tone.

Ed felt Roy tense up. "I am perfectly capable of deciding what I can and can not do, Hawkeye." Ed heard the echoing _I am not useless_ behind his words. And so did Hawkeye he thought as he saw the flash of regret cross her face.

"Roy… this can all wait until tomorrow. Go home and …and take care of that cat. The poor thing's sick."

"I'm well aware of that, Hawkeye," Roy said evenly as he eyed the small shivering beast in his arm. "But I will stay here." _There are too many nightmares waiting for me at home. _

"You're being stubborn, Roy," Hawkeye said suddenly and he kept his expression neutral as he looked at her. He recognised the signs of worry and concern, but too many had died because of him and he wasn't about to put another in the firing line.

"Enough." He moderated his tone. "It's okay, Riza. I…I appreciate your concern but you don't need to worry. The little one and I will be fine here today. You go, and I will see you here tomorrow." He paused. "I just need some time to think." He kept his voice low and saw her stiffen slightly and it took a while before her nod of acceptance came. He knew her well. She'd rather he was here than closed up at home, where she couldn't keep track of him.

"Very well, Roy." She didn't quite sigh and he nearly smiled at her restraint. He lowered his head for a brief moment and then lifted it to look straight at her.

"I really do appreciate your understanding, Riza." He forced a smile out and tried to make it as real as possible. He knew it was hard to slip anything past Hawkeye, but if he didn't make the effort now she would be watching him with that heavy intense gaze he could always feel.

She stared at him as he smiled at her. It was a small smile, but it was a smile, and she smiled back. There were shadows under his eye and he was pale. But sitting there, holding that cat in such a protective manner and smiling at her, he didn't appear to be the same unfeeling unresponsive man he had been ever since the news had come. She had seen him after Ishbal and knew that somehow Maes Hughes had brought him out of the depression that had surrounded him back then. This time it was her turn and she intended to do just that. A smile was a good start, she thought.

Roy watched as she left, the smile disappearing and he felt his face ache slightly from it. He sighed and looked down at the cat. It blinked at him and he could feel the shivers that racked the little thing. He stroked a bare finger over the fur between the small ears before cupping his hand at the back of the small golden head.

For a moment Ed blearily thought Roy was going to say something but nothing came out and Ed shivered and sneezed again, dropping into a restless sleep as Roy spent the hours staring blankly at the opposite wall.

* * *

Roy's eye was almost empty when Izumi Curtis entered his office. She stared at the silent man and the sleeping cat he held. She knew that look and felt an unwilling pang of sympathy for him. No matter the choices he had made, no matter how despicable they might appear to her, he was still just a man. And he had not become the unfeeling dog like so many had. Her stupid apprentices had been more lucky than they deserved in having an officer like him to look after them, she thought.

Her gaze sharpened on the cat. There was something strange about that little animal. When that golden eye had stared at her the other day she had felt the hairs on the back of her neck lift. Her fingers had tingled as she had stroked it. The colour of it was so reminiscent of Edward and yet it wasn't a chimera. It was all cat, there was no signs of it being combined with any other species. But it behaved and reacted with a level of intelligence she had never seen in a cat before. It seemed fairly obvious to her that it had been caught up in whatever had occurred to the Elrics. There were no signs it was a soul attachment as Al had been or even a homunculus, although she had never heard of anyone trying to bring an animal back. The automail suggested it had been cared for by someone it its past. How Al had ended up with it was probably going to be a mystery forever now.

She cleared her throat and the dark head turned slowly in her direction, a brief glimmer of life appeared in the single eye and he stood up carefully, keeping the cat close to him.

"Mrs Curtis. Please, come in and have a seat."

"Your cat is sick?"

"Yes, a cold I think."

His voice was polite and he was trying to keep his masks in place. He was doing a good job of it too, she acknowledged. He began to step around his desk but she walked over and stood in front of him.

"I'm not here for long. Just to say goodbye. We're leaving on this afternoon's train."

"I'm sorry to have met you under these circumstances, but I know the boys would have thanked you for coming."

"I know. They wouldn't have dared otherwise." She looked at him. "I would tell you that they'd say it wasn't your fault, but you wouldn't believe me or even them if they were here. So I will merely say what I always told them. Life only goes one way."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Roy spoke. "I'm glad you were their Teacher."

She gave him a crooked smile in return and looked at the small cat. "Take good care of him."

Roy nodded as the cat sneezed in his sleep. "I will."

"I'm taking the Rockbell girl and that Rose with me. We'll see that they're taken care of for the moment." She studied him one last time. "Don't _you_ do anything stupid, dog."

A genuine smile flitted across Roy's face and he bowed slightly. "Safe trip Teacher," he said as he straightened up. She nodded her head in acknowledgement and left the office in her brisk manner and Roy sat back down in his chair.

_Life only goes one way._ He knew that one already. But he had never been able to accept it.

* * *

It took Ed two days before he was able to start thinking again clearly and for the fever to disappear, but he was struck by such an aching lethargy that he could barely move his tail let alone anything else. He was more than content to stay in his blanket and get carried around everywhere. He still sneezed and Roy had taken him to the vet. He had been too lethargic to do more than hiss his objections when the vet had taken his temperature and given him an injection. The only good news was that it should only take a week before he was all better again, so he took advantage of it when he could.

Roy rarely put him down and he spent the next two days curled up on the man's lap as Roy did his paperwork. Roy had organised a meal sent up from the mess and although Ed was hungry, he was unable to eat much. He spent most of the time sleeping, he was just too tired and he ached when he moved.

The only time he wanted to move was when Roy went running from bed to bathroom in the middle of the night. He had tried and fallen from the bed to land in an ignominious heap on the floor, and had barely managed to drag himself to the bathroom door before Roy had reappeared. He had been scooped up and they had spent the night on the couch.

It took Ed a few days to realise it, but Roy never wore gloves unless he had to. He knew there was a plain white pair in the desk drawer and he had seen Roy wear them once, when he had been summoned to General Ashlen's office.

Ed almost liked General Ashlen. The man was more trustworthy than Cresson, and he spoke bluntly. And he had had no objection to Mustang standing there, sick cat in his arms, as they had discussed the increasing tension in Liore. Many of the citizens wanted to move away and were demanding to be relocated. Several opposition groups had been formed and were trying to get support from the Parliament to have the Military removed from the region.

General Cresson was all for abandoning Liore, but Ashlen felt it should be rebuilt for those who wanted to remain. And that the Military had a duty to aid in the rebuilding as they had been the major cause of that damage in the first place.

Ed missed not being able to get to the mess for lunch. He had no way to hear the latest news and gossip. Hearing Ashlen talk made him aware that there was no doubt more to it, and he couldn't find out because he was unable to stand up for more than two minutes before his legs gave way. The sooner he got better, the happier he would be.

He had made his mind up on something else as well. When he regained his strength he was going to find a way to tell Roy he was here, even as he knew it could have serious repercussions and hoping that Roy wouldn't think it was all a bad dream. These last few days had seen a change in Roy's behaviour that Ed recognised. Roy was letting the depression beat him and Ed didn't like that.

When they got home, Roy would feed him and then sit on the couch until it was time for bed. He stared at nothing, he did nothing and Ed could almost see the grey fog that Roy was starting to live in. He didn't know what else he could do that would prise the man out of those shadows.

* * *

Envy ducked around another corner and sighed. The patrols were still tight. Why weren't they getting complacent yet? He wanted to leave here. He scratched at his arm. This was becoming annoying. It had been five days since the funerals and he had been hoping for some laxness to appear.

Civilians kept clamouring to leave and some were shouting for help rebuilding. Envy didn't care, all he wanted was out and unfortunately the large scale transmutation that Scar had done months ago had cut through the tunnels leading out into the desert. Envy didn't want to start making his own tunnels. He wanted something quick and easy. But with the two factions keeping things unstable in the city, the Military wasn't slacking off yet and he was getting impatient.

He slowly sauntered back away from the city perimeter. It was going to take timing but it should be possible to slip out between two patrols. It would mean they'd have to drop and hide every fifteen minutes to avoid being spotted by the other patrols until they were far enough away. Wrath was being complacent at the moment, although terrified was probably a more accurate description of his feelings towards him. He wished he knew just what Wrath had seen that had caused these damned scales. He scratched at them again, pulling his sleeve up for a brief look. They shimmered in the light.

"What's that?"

Envy looked up, pulling his sleeve down as he saw the blue uniform approaching him. _Shit._ He looked around quickly. Just the one soldier. A blond with dark blue eyes and a simple expression on his slightly round face. Envy had his hood up and debated rapidly whether to stay and bluff his way out or to run. He turned and headed for the nearest alley. The footsteps behind him changed and the soldier began running after him.

"Stop! I'm not going to hurt you, kid!"

Envy nearly laughed. The soldier was gravely mistaken there. The only one who could possibly get hurt was that blue-clad idiot. Envy grinned as he headed along the alley. It had been a long time since he had run like this, it was almost fun. He still had his speed and he used it as he widened the gap between them, leaping over a barrel with a graceful movement that had his hood falling from his head.

Blond hair suddenly appeared on the boy he was chasing and the soldier caught a glimpse of a profile as the kid looked behind him. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he stared at the image in front of him, and skidding to a stop.

"Elric?" His shocked gasp caused the boy in front of him to pause and the blond head tilted slightly before he turned around. The blond began to walk back and the soldier saw the face he had seen in a drawing and in the paper.

"Al…Alphonse?"

The youth's lips twisted into a teasing grin. "Yes." Envy walked closer watching the soldier's face go pale.

"You're supposed to be dead! Where's Ed?" The man sounded almost hysterical and Envy grinned. Now this looked like fun he thought.

"Ed? You know my brother?" A thin eyebrow rose.

"I knew you both back in Central." The blond man stared at the youth now standing in front of him. "Don't you remember me?"

"No," Envy replied carelessly. "But it doesn't matter." Envy smiled, and then stepped forward, swinging to kick the man in the stomach, chopping his arm down hard across the back of the man's neck as he doubled over. The soldier fell to his knees and Envy waited until he looked up. When he did Envy kicked him in the face and he toppled over backwards. The Sin jumped and landed, knees first on the man's chest, hearing the satisfying crunch of ribs breaking. Envy leant forward and watched the blood bubbling at the side of the soldier's mouth.

"Actually the little Fullmetal brat is dead. You see, I killed him and his brother too." He listened as the soldier tried to speak but only more blood came from his mouth and Envy settled his weight more firmly on the broken ribs. He lifted up and then dropped down again. The soldier spat blood at him and Envy's face darkened. Elric had done the same thing and Envy had not forgotten that. He leant forward and gripped the blond hair pulling the soldier's head upwards. He cupped the blond's chin with his other hand and twisted with a quick movement until he heard the loud crack of the man's neck breaking. He let go of the chin and shook the hand that still held the blond hair. The head moved loosely as the eyes went dim. Envy watched the last involuntary muscle movements with a satisfied smile before he let the head drop onto the ground and stood up.

He straightened his robes out and pulled his hood up before walking away without looking back.

* * *

"Why didn't you try and stop him, Sir?" Hawkeye asked as Roy stared at the silver watch on his desk. The man who had left it there had gone and Roy felt empty.

"Because he doesn't want to be here, Hawkeye." The cat in his arms looked from one to the other and then stared at the watch as well. "We knew Alex was going to resign."

"But after what happened to Edward and Alphonse, to just walk away? How could he do that?" Hawkeye protested. She didn't like the almost resigned look on Roy's face. She had been seeing it more often these last couple of days and it worried her. He was slipping away somehow and she couldn't find a way to bring him back. She watched as his fingers reached out and lightly touched the watch. Bare hands. Although he had smiled several times this week, she had come to see how empty they were. They never reached his eye and he used them almost as an afterthought, as if it was expected of him.

And now Major Alex Armstrong had come in and offered up his watch and resignation and Roy had accepted it without even questioning it. He had even told Alex to go to see General Ashlen and enquire about helping out in a civilian capacity in Liore.

"You can't let him walk away, Roy." She spoke firmly and he looked up at her.

"I will not force him to stay when he clearly does not want to be here." His voice sounded equally firm but it lacked the strength she always associated with him.

"Duty doesn't require us to like it," she replied.

"Duty, my dear First Lieutenant, is exactly why we are here in this situation right now," Roy stated clearly and with a definite sneer in his voice. She stared at him. He hadn't let his disillusion out so openly in a long time. She took a deep breath.

"Roy, you can't just stop because things didn't turn out the way you… I… we hoped." Riza stood there, her hands suddenly feeling cold.

The dark eye looked at her and his lip curled slightly, a sardonic twist breaking through. "What do you suggest, Riza? That I should call Alex back and plan to take over the Parliament, or try again for an empty and meaningless position that no longer exists?" The cat in his arms shifted uneasily as she frowned at the bitter edge of his words. "How many more shall _we _sacrifice? Or don't you feel any of the guilt that comes from failing?"

"That's harsh. You are not to blame for what happened to Edward and Alphonse."

Roy didn't look away. "But I am and I wonder why you can't see that. Does serving so faithfully blind you to responsibility?"

"I have always served you, Roy. I have done everything I could for you."

"And in the end you failed." Riza Hawkeye went white and swayed as his words cut through her.

Havoc came running into the office before Roy could continue.

"From Liore." He panted as he threw a piece of paper on the desk. "Denny Brosh has been killed."

* * *

-0-

Reichstag: The building which was the seat of the parliament of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933). Reichstag was used to refer to the actual parliament.

In 1922, Germany signed a treaty - the Treaty of Rapallo - with Russia, to find a way around the enforced disarmament of the Versailles Treaty.

By 1923, the Republic claimed it could no longer afford reparations payments and defaulted on some payments. In response, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr, Germany's most industrialised and profitable region.

The value of the Papiermark had declined from 4.2 per US dollar at the outbreak of World War I to 1 million per US dollar by August 1923. On 15 November 1923 the Rentenmark, was introduced at the rate of 1 trillion Papiermark for 1 Rentenmark. At that time, 1 U.S. dollar was equal to 4.2 Rentenmark. Releasing the Rentenmark did actually help control the hyperinflation at the time and things began to stabilise for the next few years.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for being patient with my little one and I'm sorry for inundating you with all the facts above… I have taken liberties with the dates above and brought the events forward to occur before Hitler's BeerHall Putsch of 9 November 1923, and given them a more public awareness than they had at the time…

Thank you for all the support and comments you have given me for my little cat… and now off to work on echoes … grins

silken :)


	14. Betrayal

Felis Arcanum

Disclaimer: I do not own nor ever will, Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters within.

* * *

**Chapter 14****: Betrayal**

_Denny Brosh has been killed. _

"I'm resigning."

_Edward and Alphonse are dead._

"Sit down, Mustang."

"Sir…"

Sit down, Mustang." General Ashlen repeated the words with a steady firmness and the pale faced man in front of him obeyed with visible reluctance. "Why?"

"Because…" _they're all dead_ "…I am no longer able to serve to the best of my ability." General Ashlen might have accepted that reason, but the suddenness of Mustang's appearance in his office and the abruptness of his statement had the General studying him closely. This was not the same man he had seen at the Elrics' funeral.

"What do you base that on?"

"Physically I am no longer…"

"There are others with severer disabilities." Ashlen didn't even hesitate as he interrupted.

"I am no longer trusted and my future within the military seems doubtful."

"Perhaps a month ago I would have accepted that," Ashlen remarked. "But not now. I want the truth, Mustang."

The single dark eye seemed to grow blank and Ashlen waited. He suddenly realised that Mustang was without either his gloves or the little cat. It made him appear incomplete and lacking. The last months had built an image, an impression of Brigadier-General Mustang and it had just vanished.

"I no longer wish to serve the State." There was an undercurrent to the words that Ashlen didn't like. He could hear the truth in the words, but there was more that was being left unsaid.

"Why?" Ashlen asked.

"It means nothing to me anymore."

Ashlen was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a response. It wasn't the words so much as the empty sound of them. But there was a shadow on the white face that hinted at a pain not conveyed by his voice. It made a liar of his words. Ashlen leant back in his chair.

"Request denied." And the dark eye glared at him as Mustang leant forward.

"Why?"

"Because I don't believe you," Ashlen replied bluntly.

"I _am_ leaving here," Mustang said determinedly.

"Absence without leave could get you court-martialled, a dishonourable discharge and even sentenced to the military prison." Ashlen listed the consequences easily and Mustang shrugged.

"So be it."

"Such conduct on your part would have a detrimental effect on your staff." Ashlen watched him go tense and knew he had found something he could exploit. He was not going to let Mustang resign. He didn't know of any soldier who hadn't suddenly been overset with doubts about their service and he knew recent events would have exaggerated any doubt Mustang had already been feeling. Ashlen was aware another soldier had died in Liore and he assumed that death to be the so-called last straw for Mustang. He nodded to himself. After the Elrics deaths any further incident in Liore was going to affect the Brigadier-General, even a completely unrelated one.

"My conduct has nothing to do with them," Mustang replied, a snap to his words.

"Maybe not, but for any officer to simply leave with no warning or reason; that usually means there is a serious problem. Officers only move when there are problems too great to be resolved, and the remaining staff are separated and assigned elsewhere." Ashlen kept his demeanour as composed as he could. He wanted to delve deeper, he knew he probably should ask for more information but he knew that doing so could have disastrous results. You didn't push men who were nearing mental edges and he knew enough to know that Mustang was walking one of those edges. He had seen what happened when you did. He supposed he should be grateful that Mustang had come to him with this. There were others who would have demanded more from him. And Ashlen saw the possibility of Mustang facing execution rather than a dishonourable discharge if someone did dig deeper into his reasons.

_Denny Brosh is dead. Edward is dead. Alphonse is dead. Maes is dead. Bradley is dead. Archer is dead. Liore is dead. The Rockbells are dead. Ishbal is dead. They're all dead. My fault. I killed them. I failed._

It was a refrain behind his eyes. From the moment Havoc had thrown that piece of paper on his desk he had had the same thoughts. _My fault. They're all dead. I failed. I killed them. _ Nameless faces had spun behind the ones he could name. He had stood up and walked around his desk, almost pushing the little cat into Havoc's arms before leaving the office without a word. Five minutes later he had entered General Ashlen's office with one intention. To leave. Before more died, before he failed again.

There was a lethargy to most of his thoughts. They stayed just out of reach and almost completely covered by the decision to leave. Some of those thoughts accused him of running away, but he didn't believe that was what he was doing. He knew he couldn't run away from the nightmares and visions that haunted him. But he feared what would happen to those around him, those who trusted him, those he was supposed to be protecting now that he was proven to be a failure. _Worthless, useless, failure._ His personal litany began again. _My fault. They're all dead. I failed. _

And he was failing them all again as he recognised the truth in the General's words. He couldn't leave his shadow over his staff. He was trying to save them from that. The deeper depression that stunted clear thought made him incapable of seeing and choosing from one of several paths he could take. The fog that surrounded him in the evenings now lay heavy over him as he frowned at the General and felt completely helpless.

General Ashlen wondered at the lack of response. He had expected a vigorous defence but there was nothing but a blank frown and a lost expression on his face. Several options came to mind and Ashlen hesitated for a moment before deciding on the one least likely to offend. He didn't think Mustang would accept being sent to the hospital for observation and an evaluation of his emotional state.

"I can assign you to a post away from Central for a time," he said and Mustang straightened in his chair. A little bit of awareness sparked behind the fog.

"Somewhere isolated," he demanded without considering his words.

"I can not send a Brigadier-General to a position like that," Ashlen replied.

"Then demote me," Mustang said bluntly. "I was only promoted due to whatever machinations were going on at the time."

"Mustang, you'd have to be demoted as low as a Corporal."

A single black eye met the General's eyes and the General saw and heard no hesitation or indecision.

"Do it."

* * *

"Where'd you think he went?" Havoc asked as he stared at the doorway Mustang had left through.

"I don't know." Hawkeye's voice was sombre and Havoc turned to look at her and she met his worried blue eyes with eyes just as worried. He absently held the little cat to him as he suddenly shivered.

"Something's not right with him, is it?"

"I don't know." Hawkeye's reply was hushed. "But his reaction just now…" her voice trailed off. "It scares me." Havoc blinked. He had never expected to hear those words from her. Nothing scared Riza Hawkeye. "He left without saying anything and he didn't take the cat or his gloves. Tell me that doesn't scare you."

Havoc swallowed and looked down to meet the one-eyed gaze of the cat he was holding. "Yes… it scares me." He thrust the cat at her. "And why am I holding the damned monster anyway?"

Ed miaowed protesting the sudden rough movement. He was still recovering from the flu and although the crippling lethargy had passed, he was still inclined to feel tired and achy. Roy had been carrying him everywhere the last few days and when Roy had stood up he had expected to go with him. He hadn't thought he would be left behind and it hurt. He felt Hawkeye taking him from Havoc and he curled up around her hands as much as he could, hoping she wouldn't put him down.

He was feeling abandoned. It was the first time since he had become a cat that he had felt this way. Back then he had given them no chance to leave him behind. He had followed and chased to remain with them and as Roy had recovered he had made a place that suited him. Now it had all been overturned. Ed knew he was probably over-reacting. The shock of hearing about Denny Brosh still echoed inside him and Roy's uncharacteristic behaviour was making him nervous and worried. He knew how depressed the man was at home. He hoped Roy wasn't going to do something he was going to regret. Ed knew how easy it was to get weighed under the black moods. But he had barely been twelve, Roy was older, he had been through these situations before. Surely he wouldn't act too rashly? Even depressed as he was, he was always so proud. And Havoc and Hawkeye would stop him.

"Tell me about Denny," Hawkeye ordered as she found herself almost cuddling the cat against her.

"He was found dead in an alley. They say he had crushed ribs and a broken neck," Havoc said with a tremor. "He wasn't even on patrol. They said he'd been volunteering with the kids and was heading back to his unit."

"A random attack?" Hawkeye asked.

"That's what they're thinking." Havoc sighed.

"Ross was due to go East next week. Has she been told?"

"I don't know. We were notified because of… because his CO knew he had helped us with the search for Ed and Al."

"I'll ring her. They've been partners a long time." Hawkeye bit at her lip and Ed shifted to purr gently. He remembered the first time he'd met the simple minded and good natured soldier. He had always been so open and honest in everything and although Ed had not had a lot of contact with him, he had liked him.

"Things must be incredibly tense there right now. This is not going to help," Havoc noted.

"Flashpoint?"

"Possibly. Breda's better at figuring out that sort of thing than I am, but I reckon one more incident and the whole place will explode."

"I think I'll trust your feelings on this one. The thought of Ross and possibly even Major Armstrong going in there makes me even more worried."

"Ex-Major Armstrong." Havoc pointed out.

"It's not his rank that'll be a concern but his abilities. After what happened with …Edward and Alphonse, do you think an alchemist is going to be _that_ welcome there?"

"No," Havoc said slowly. "If Denny was a victim of a random attack then it should be okay, but if it is part of something more deliberate then Armstrong could be targeted." He let his breath out. "How did it get so bad all of a sudden?"

"You know you can't predict these situations. And we're too far away to be of any help."

"You think the Chief went to see if we could be sent there?"

Hawkeye looked startled for a moment and then frowned. "He wouldn't normally request something like that."

"Yeah, but Ed and Al were there."

"We aren't going to find them, Jean." Hawkeye told him and his face dropped slightly.

"I know that Riz, but when I know that both those coffins we buried were empty I just can't quite let them go."

Ed listened to them talking and wondered what he should do now. He doubted that Envy was anywhere near Liore now. He knew the homunculus would have left as soon as he could after causing that destruction. Envy wouldn't hang around a place crawling with soldiers if he had the choice. He'd be going elsewhere but where? Ed frowned. If Roy was seeking to move them to Liore he was going to lose the access to information that being in Central gave him. No-one was going to call Mustang in Liore and there'd be no Jig and Hill to gather gossip from. Ed wasn't going to be able to find Al if they went to Liore.

* * *

Al stretched as he reached for the next drawing and began checking the scale even before he picked up his pencil.

"How do you do that so easily?" Alfons queried as he watched.

"Do what?"

"Be able to measure and judge the scale with just your eyes. You rarely use the slide rule."

Al didn't know what to say. Years of drawing alchemy had taken him beyond needing such measuring tools except for large and intricate circles. He scratched at the side of his head. "I don't know."

"It's probably come from doing that astrology with the Professor," Alfons remarked and Al could only shrug and nod his head depreciatingly and hope Alfons wasn't going to ask about the astrology. He still wasn't sure what astrology actually was.

"I'm going to the market and then to see Fraulein Gracia," Noa interrupted from the door. "Was there anything you needed?"

"No thank you," Both Als shook their heads and smiled at her. Alfons went over and shyly kissed her cheek and Al saw the corresponding blush on Noa's face. He looked at the drawings and ignored the soft whisper the pair exchanged before Alfons returned to his seat and Noa had left the room. When Alfons didn't say anything he lifted his head and met the curious look in the eyes opposite him.

"Do you ever wonder if you'll find a girl here, Al?"

Al blinked. "I never even thought about it," he replied in a blank voice.

"What about… in your homeland?" Alfons hesitated in his question. "Did you leave someone behind?" He had rarely asked anything about Al's past or the place he and the Professor had come from.

Al shook his head. "No. I never knew many girls, except our neighbour. We grew up together." _And I was rather different from most other boys. _Al sighed. _I was different to _everyone_._

Alfons looked at the younger blond. "I'm sorry," he apologised as he heard the sigh.

"It's okay. It's just kind of hard to know I won't see her or any of them again. Winry's just as much family as Brother is." _And I hope he's alive because otherwise she's there all alone now and I don't want that. _

Alfons was silent for a moment. "Finding someone here would be kind of like betraying them, wouldn't it?"

Al lowered his head and frowned at the drawing. "I don't know. If I knew they were all alright. If I just knew that, then maybe…" _But I'd still want to be there with them. _He shook himself free of the melancholy mood that threatened and lifted his head dragging a smile up with him. "Just because you have a fiancée doesn't mean I have to have one too."

* * *

Roy Mustang entered his office and went to his desk in silence. The golden cat was curled up on his desk and the single eye seemed to glare at him as he sat down. That wasn't the only eye looking at him. He could see the disapproving looks of Hawkeye and Havoc. Fuery and Falman had been told judging by their pale faces.

"Where's Breda?" he asked, his voice level and slightly distant.

"Here." Breda appeared in the doorway, his usually smiling face sombre. "I spoke with Colonel Brack. They'll let us be part of the escort when he arrives."

"Escort?" Mustang queried.

"For Denny Brosh," Hawkeye told him and was surprised to receive a frown rather than an approving nod in response.

"As of Monday you will all be serving under General Ashlen. He will decide your future postings." The words fell without warning and they gaped at him, heads beginning to shake as mouths dropped open.

"No!" Havoc said loudly. "I'm not serving someone else."

"What are you saying, Brigadier-General?" Hawkeye asked as she stood up.

"I am saying that as of Monday I will no longer be your superior officer and you will attend General Ashlen for re-assignment," Mustang replied with a distant expression.

"Why?" Hawkeye stood her ground. "You can't just transfer us like this."

"The decisions have been made. I am transferring out of Central and you will be staying here. The General has said he will try to have you assigned together." The words should have been reassuring but the distant and almost disinterested tone made them empty and unsettling.

"Then we'll go with you," Havoc said firmly and everyone nodded.

"That is not possible." There was a palpable finality in his statement.

"You can't just abandon us, Chief!" Havoc protested and Mustang focused on him. "We promised that we'd always follow you. After Ishbal and when we went East and Liore. We promised. You can not go back on that promise!"

"That promise is void and meaningless now, Lieutenant. The aims and goals of those years have been nullified and there is no point to continuing something that is never going to eventuate." It was the calmness that was most disconcerting. He could have been telling them to empty the bins, not denying everything they had dreamt and worked for.

Ed stared, his ears twitching wildly. He couldn't believe what was happening. Mustang was leaving? Letting his crew go to some other General? It was completely out of character and just plain wrong as far as Ed was concerned. Ever since he had arrived in Central and first met Mustang, the others had always been there. He had always thought the ties between them to be unbreakable. To see Mustang so carelessly and easily cut them loose was unbelievable.

He watched the others. They were having trouble believing it too. They were all moving restlessly and he could see conflicting emotions going across their faces. They looked as if they wanted to yell and shout at Mustang but for some reason they weren't. Ed didn't know if it was because of the differences in rank, which never seemed to matter in most of their interactions within the office. Or whether there was something else he was missing.

"Where are you going?" Hawkeye suddenly asked.

"Somewhere in the North." Mustang reached over and placed his fingers lightly on the cat's head, stroking one of the twitching ears. Ed held himself still, not giving into the instinct that would have had him leaning into those stroking fingers. Nothing was going to distract him from what was happening around him.

"Why are you doing this, Roy?" Hawkeye asked with a determined and grim expression on her face and throwing aside her usual office manner.

And Ed realised that the others weren't saying anything because Hawkeye was the only one who could ask these questions. She had been with him the longest and she was the only one of them that could demand things from him.

"Because I have to do this, Lieutenant." Roy met her eyes steadily and she quailed inside slightly at how distant he appeared. He had never been this detached from them, or her. He was deliberately avoiding her name, she could sense that but she had the feeling that it wasn't because he didn't want to use it, it was more that he didn't care. It was unnerving to think that he could possibly not care at the effect his words and decision were having on them.

"You have a responsibility to us and to the Military. You can not just walk away from it."

"My responsibility is over. You are more than capable of continuing without me." Riza stared at him. Was that his reasoning? That they didn't need him any more?

"You are the one who made our service and duty worthwhile. Your responsibility is _not_ over."

"Service and duty. To me, when it should have been to the State."

Hawkeye's eyes went wide and then narrowed. "Yes, to you. Because we didn't trust the State, because you promised we would change it to be what it should. Because you would never let us down."

"The State has changed and I can not carry the weight anymore. Your trust, your service and duty are too heavy now. As I said earlier, all those promises are meaningless now, and I am tired of living up to your expectations of me."

Ed froze as did the rest of them. Never had he thought to hear Roy say something like that to Hawkeye. Through everything she had been his main support and to have it thrown back in her face was the cruellest thing he had heard.

"I have asked for nothing more than to be at your side, to protect your back. All I have ever wanted was your respect." Hawkeye's face was pale but her voice stayed level.

"You have always had my respect. No matter what has occurred you have always risen to meet every challenge. At my back or at my side, you have always been there. And now you are a constant reminder to my failure." Clinical, distant, empty.

"You have not failed!" Riza told him, her voice rising slightly.

"Then is it your failure? The plans to become Fuhrer, to make this Military something to be honestly proud about. Is it your fault that none of them came to fruition? If you had killed Archer before he shot me, things would be very different."

For the first time in his life Ed saw Riza Hawkeye take a step back from Mustang and as he recognised the emotion that twisted her face he become angry. He didn't think Roy could have been cruller than he already had been, but he had.

"Take that back, bastard! She already blames herself, you don't have to make it worse!" He turned and growled at Roy, glad to have something to focus on as the office he had always known seemed to splinter in front of him. He had come to rely on its familiar routines and rhythms. While everything else was falling apart it had stayed the same. Not anymore. And the last person he would have ever thought of was the one breaking it.

Riza had seen Roy in many moods and tempers. She had never seen him like this. The coldness that his words coated her in was sinking through into her bones. The guilt she had been feeling since that dreadful night became a heavy weight in her chest and only a rigid self-control kept her knees from buckling under it. Thoughts and images she had castigated herself with every night coalesced into an unforgiveable sin. She lifted her head and stared at him.

"I am aware that my actions on that night were insufficient." Riza's voice was stilted and she tried to take refuge in formality. The office was not the place to indulge in hysterics. "However the events of that night are not something I can go back and change, no matter how much I might wish to do so." Despite her rigid control the last words wobbled a bit but Mustang's expression didn't change.

"Enough Chief! If it wasn't for Riza, you'd be dead!" Havoc stepped forward, his face white and he was shaking but he stood next to Hawkeye and glared at Mustang. The single eye blinked and looked at Havoc.

"Death would be preferable to living with failure." Roy watched them as if from a long way away. He listened as he spoke, he catalogued their responses and he wondered at his own impassiveness. He was hurting them, he was hurting her and he didn't care. He was tired. The decision was made, so why were they making this so difficult? He picked up a file and sighed. With empty eye and face he looked at them all. "Monday is three days from now. I suggest you start getting everything organised and completed."

"That's it?" Havoc asked incredulously. "You're going to leave it there?" Outrage coloured his face. "You're just going to pack up and leave and throw away everything we ever achieved?"

"We achieved nothing, Lieutenant." _Everything has been lost. They're all dead._ "This is where it stops. Anything more would be pointless."

"I did not follow you for the last eight years just to have you call it pointless! You have a responsibility to me and to Riza and to all of us! Damn it, you have a responsibility to Ed and Al as well! How can you make their deaths mean nothing like this?"

Mustang met Havoc's tirade with his empty expression as the words reverberated inside him. The comforting blanket of his depression kept him away from the sting of the words but it couldn't dull it completely. They were too similar to words the ghosts threw at him every night. But Havoc was no ghost, he was very much alive and Roy Mustang wanted him to stay that way.

"My responsibility to you and to everyone is over. It is time you took responsibility for yourselves instead of relying on someone else." _Someone like me who will fail you again._ "Dismissed, Second-Lieutenant." Mustang opened the file he had picked up and began to read it.

Havoc stared at him, fury and disappointment warring across his face. It took him a long moment to realise that Hawkeye had gripped his forearm and was shaking her head at him. His eyes widened in a glare as his teeth gritted and he scowled at her silently. She kept shaking her head and he grabbed at her wrist.

"Maybe you can forgive this but I can't," he told her. "I don't like being betrayed." He pulled her hand from his arm and let her wrist go before turning and leaving the office. Riza Hawkeye looked from the doorway to Roy who seemed completely involved in his paperwork. She looked away and met the sympathetic gaze of Breda and the nervous one of Fuery. Falman appeared as impassive as Roy but his hand kept fisting. She stared at them and could do nothing.

Ed curled up tight and wondered what to do. His initial shock was wearing off and he half wanted to go and curl up in Roy's lap as usual. The expression on Roy's face was the same one he wore every evening. Ed had thought he had understood the depression Roy had been feeling. He had seen how bad the nightmares were, he had been there when the man had cried not only in the rain but during those nights on the bathroom floor. He had heard the endless broken apologies. But now he knew he didn't understand it all. Not with the way Roy was behaving now. There was no sign of the nightly torment. There was no sign of anything.

Ed was torn between sympathies. Roy had to be hurting somewhere even if he wasn't showing it. The rest of them were definitely hurting and Ed found his sympathy tinged with anger when he looked at them. How could Roy be so heartless even if he was depressed? Why was he so set on leaving? Ed flicked his tail around and gnawed at the end of it. He was going to have to find a way to communicate with Roy. He had no choice now. Not if Roy was intending to leave. This was changing everything.

* * *

"Fraulein Noa?" The young dark-haired man who suddenly appeared in front of her clicked his heels together as he gave a small bow. "If you would accompany us, danke." He extended a gloved hand, pointing to a car parked beside them. The back door was being held open by one man and there was another in the driver's seat.

Noa looked at the three of them noting the expressions of polite patience and shook her head.

"I am most sorry, mein Herr, but I am on my way home."

The face of the man in front of her did not change. "Hans," he said and Noa suddenly felt something hard in the middle of her back. "I regret Fraulein, but my invitation can not be refused. This will not take long and you will be back in time to prepare the evening meal." He reached across and removed the bag from her hand. "Allow me to carry your shopping." He turned and walked towards the car and Noa had no choice but to follow.

They appeared very serious she noted as she entered the car and they began to drive away. She never saw whatever the man called Hans had been pressing into her back and he was now seated beside the driver. The man who had first accosted her sat next to her, and the fourth man was on her other side. Apart from him no-one had spoken and they remained silent for the ten minutes the drive took.

They were politely courteous as she got out of the car and she entered what appeared to be an undistinguished house. Flanked by Hans and the man she had sat next to, she followed the young man down a passage to a heavy wooden door. He knocked twice and then opened it.

"The Fraulein Noa, Sir," he said as he entered the room and Noa was ushered into the room. Books lined the walls and a fireplace was lit at one end. An older man was rising from one of the chairs set by the fire.

"Welcome Fraulein," he said easily. "Thank you for bringing her here so efficiently, Rudolf. He nodded at the young man who nodded back at him as he dismissed the other two men and closed the door behind them. "Now Fraulein, if you would be seated, we will get straight to the point here."

Noa walked hesitantly towards the seat he indicated and felt the young man take a position between her and the door. They were being so polite but she felt uncomfortable. They were maintaining a distance both physically and mentally using that very politeness. She sat down and the older man settled back into his chair.

"My name is Karl Haushofer and we are here to discuss exactly how you can help us with your special talents, Fraulein Noa."

Noa's eyes went wide and she tried to stay calm. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Herr Haushofer gave a small sigh and leant back in his chair. "It is pointless for you to deny or pretend you have no knowledge of this. There are many in your past who would testify as to your abilities. Not the least would be your last employer who was most disappointed with your disappearance." Noa stiffened. "I have no intentions to being anything but honest with you. I would appreciate if you would do the same."

Noa watched him carefully. He appeared to be telling the truth but she didn't trust him. The whole situation was frightening and she wanted to get out of here. She wondered if she should ask to touch him, to confirm the truth of his words and then wondered if that was what he wanted her to do. Was it a trap?

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you want the same thing we do. A home, a place where your race doesn't matter. A place without prejudice."

"There's no such place."

"Actually there is." There was a small pause. "And you can help us get there."

* * *

As the door to his apartment closed behind him Roy walked to his couch and sat down. The cat in his arms wriggled free and stretched on the cushion beside him. Ed looked at the silent man. He was staring blindly across the room and Ed was shocked to see a line of water appear from the single eye and slip down the still face.

Ed couldn't call it crying. It was a single line that just kept sliding from eye to jaw and then fell onto his uniform. Roy was oblivious and Ed hung his head with indecision. Ever since Roy had spoken Ed had kept a distance between them. He had been friends with the others for a long time and he could understand all too well how it felt to have Roy abandon them. But these last months of being continually at Roy's side had brought him closer than he had ever believed possible and he knew that Roy was not coping well no matter how assured he looked to the others. _Damn the man and his stupid pride,_ Ed thought as he lifted his head and padded back onto Roy's lap. He pushed his head up under the stiff jaw and flattened himself comfortably up Roy's chest. He could feel the water begin to sink into his fur and he nuzzled his head against the smooth skin of Roy's neck for a moment before settling and listening to the breathing that remained steady.

It took a long time before the water stopped and Roy's arms moved to hold the cat close as his breathing suddenly hitched and the unceasing _"sorry, sorry" _began.

* * *

Edward was in a bad mood as he stalked along the corridors of Headquarters. It was nine in the morning and he was tired and unsettled. He ignored the startled glances he was getting. He knew he wasn't usually seen at this hour and there were more people moving about so he stayed close to the walls. But the bastard hadn't fed him either last night or this morning so he had had to go to the mess for breakfast.

Mess. Everything was a mess right now. Roy had spent all night on the couch. Even when Roy had finally fallen asleep it hadn't lasted long. Within an hour he had been awake again, slipping between nightmares and wakefulness for the rest of the night. Ed hadn't been able to settle; the events of the day and the obvious pain Roy was in had kept him from relaxing.

Ed's tail swished as he walked faster. He had thought that telling Roy he was here would help. Maybe some of that pain would go if Roy realised Ed wasn't dead. That he hadn't failed. Except that telling Roy was going to be a lot harder than he had thought.

It had seemed such a simple thing. All he had to do was scratch his name or even 'bastard' and Roy was going to know something was going on. He had gone looking for somewhere to scratch his message and realised that most of the floor was carpeted and the two rooms that weren't, were tiled and even the automail didn't help. He had looked at the walls next and been faced with two problems. The first was the furniture that limited the surface area he could get at. The second was his size. If he wanted to scratch his name on the wall he could do so…a foot off the ground. And Roy was not going to see that. Ed had then looked for a higher position. Being a cat did have the advantage that he could sit comfortably on something like Roy's dresser and mark the wall there. Or even the dresser top itself. The wood was soft enough and an automail claw would make it even easier.

And that's when the other problems had become clear. Scratching was easy until you wanted to specific lines. A single straight line. It should not have been hard. It had taken him five minutes. He had discovered that he couldn't use the normal paw. The claws didn't make strong enough marks and occasionally he'd get shivers go up his back as they skidded on the wood. He hadn't been able to get only one claw to appear, so there were fainter lines from the other claws besides his intended line. He had switched to the automail paw thinking he'd get a better resulting mark and found himself with more problems. As a human he hadn't used his automail hand for writing so now he felt as if he was using his wrong hand. Then he had problems judging his strength as the wood had splintered and cracked when he pressed too hard. And again he couldn't get just one claw to appear.

When he finally managed a small straight line he ran into another problem. Curves were out. Cats paws didn't flex like human wrists and the retractable claws that had seemed so wonderful now became an annoyance as the wrong movement had them retracting and disappearing when he tried to turn a wrist that wasn't there anymore. He started again and tried to put straight lines for every curve and even he had to admit the result looked nothing like the 'b' he had been trying for. The lines were uneven and crooked and the marks from the other claws had made it hard to tell what it should be. He had not been happy. He was going to have to practice if he wanted to be legible. It was like having to learn how to write all over again. And he didn't have much time to improve either. Not if Roy really was going to leave for the North. He had to tell him before then.

"How can you keep defending him, Riz?"

Ed heard Havoc speaking and stopped, tilting his head and targeting the office it was coming from. He stayed close to the wall and sat near the half-opened door. Havoc hadn't come back to the office since he had left it yesterday and judging from the tone of his voice, it was going to be a while before he did return.

"He needs our support, Jean." Hawkeye sounded tired to Ed's sharp ears.

"And we need his! He's not the only one who's had his dreams taken away from him. He's forgetting that we had just as much at stake as he did. We should all be getting through this together, but he's running away, betraying us all like this. He doesn't care about us."

"You can't say that. He's kept us together all this time. We've been with him since the beginning."

"Then why is he leaving us? Huh? After all these years? I never thought of him as a quitter, Riz, but that's what he's doing. It doesn't turn out like he wanted so he's giving up. And he doesn't even have the decency to apologise for it."

"He was probably afraid he'd break down in front of us." Ed wondered if Havoc could hear how tired and automatic Hawkeye was sounding. As if she'd stayed awake all night going over every excuse she could find for Roy's behaviour.

"Do you know what? I wish he would. I really wish he would, because right now he's nothing more than an unfeeling bastard." There was a pause. "And you know what really annoys me, Riz? It's that you're standing there and letting him do this." Havoc's voice became heavy and Ed's ears twitched. "Out of us all, you're the one closest to him. You think I don't know how you feel about him? Doesn't what he's doing here hurt you more because you lo…"

"No!" Hawkeye's voice was sharp. "Do _not_ say anymore. You know nothing about it and whatever I may be feeling has nothing to do with this."

"You're deluding yourself if you believe that. Don't you want him to stay? Don't you want to know that if you tell him you love him, he'll stay?" Havoc's voice rose over Hawkeye's protests.

"Shut up, Jean!"

"Then _do _something!I've had one person I respect and admire betray me, Riza. Don't let the other one I respect and love more than anything else let me down too." There was a silence that made Ed's fur rise and he imagined them standing there staring at each other. He wondered if he should inch forward and peek at them when he heard the soft 'fuck' from Havoc and the sound of boots approaching.

Havoc came out of the room and walked away rapidly. Ed could see his shoulders slumping as he disappeared around the corner. Ed moved to the doorway and looked in. Hawkeye was leaning back on a desk, her face white and her eyes squeezed tightly closed. A hand was over her mouth as if to keep any noise from escaping and her other arm was wrapped around her. Ed had never seen her looking so vulnerable.

Without thinking he entered the room and moved to jump up on the desk beside her. He leant against her and began purring softly. He could feel fine tremors going through her and they stayed like for a brief moment and then she stepped away. Her eyes opened and she looked at the small cat. Ed was surprised by the expressions that crossed her face. Shame and dislike. He stopped purring and tilted his head in a puzzled manner. Her mouth opened as if she was going to speak but nothing came out and her back straightened as she closed her lips. A frown appeared before she turned away and left the room.

Ed stared after her. The dislike he could almost understand. He knew she wasn't fond of him but he hadn't thought she actually disliked him. Ed scratched absently at an ear. And was he mistaken to think he had just heard Havoc saying he loved her? Even before he had become a cat, Edward had known that Hawkeye had deep feelings for Mustang. But no-one had ever come right out and called it love before. At least Ed had never heard anyone say that. And certainly not to Hawkeye's face. But why had he seen shame on her face? Embarrassment he could've understood. Hawkeye kept her feelings and emotions well-concealed and to have Havoc speak of things she hadn't mentioned would have made her embarrassed. But Ed didn't understand the shame. He couldn't see anything to be shameful about.

He frowned and jumped down from the desk. Time to go back to Roy. He wondered if he should practise scratching on Roy's desk. The others would be there and could possibly see it if he did. He stopped. Did he want them to know? Yet? He was going to tell Roy because he wanted him to get out of this depressive state and hopefully make him stay. The threat and uncertainty of what Cresson was planning had kept him silent so far. If Roy left, then Cresson would… could …possibly leave Roy alone. But then his staff would be unprotected. Ed's claws went in and out as they dug into the carpet. Roy had said Ashlen would reassign them. Cresson was already working against Bister, was Ashlen any safer?

He wanted to bite something in his frustration. Why had Roy chosen now to be such an idiot? Maybe he should bite the idiotic bastard after all, or he could practise his scratching on the man himself.

* * *

The persistent knocking penetrated the fog and Roy blinked slowly before standing up and walking to his door. Everything felt so distant and he found it hard to concentrate on anything. Thoughts were random and rarely stayed long enough for him to focus on. He opened the door and found Hawkeye standing there.

"Hello Roy."

"Hello Riza." He stepped back and let her enter. He closed the door behind her, wondering why she was here. Nothing showed on his face as he walked back. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked politely and automatically.

"No. Thank you." He nodded and waved her towards a seat but she shook her head.

"No. I came here to talk to you, Roy."

"What did you want to discuss?" He sat down on the couch and a hand went out to stroke the cat beside him. Both the cat and Hawkeye looked at him with disbelief. How could ask when it was obvious why she was here?

"Your decision to leave," she said firmly.

"I don't intend to change my mind," he told her without emphasis.

"If I begged you to stay?"

Roy froze. "No." The word came out without hesitation despite the cold spreading inside him. He took a careful breath as his chest prickled and looked at her. "I don't want you to beg."

"So…" Hawkeye paused and Roy waited. Even in his frozen state he could sense something else coming. The look on her face was hard to define and he wasn't sure he wanted to label that expression. "So telling you I love you wouldn't change your mind either."

Roy blinked. Even the fog within him seemed to blink. For a moment he wondered why he heard her so clearly. Weren't you supposed to doubt your ears or something in these situations? He stared at her as he tried to sort out the maelstrom that suddenly broke through his fog. Old images and feelings assaulted him as did more recent events. There was resentment at suddenly feeling again after being comfortably numbed in the depression. Anger and confusion wrapped around the bone deep sorrow and worthlessness. His eye flickered and he straightened.

"…love me?" His voice was rough and unused. He met her steady gaze and was caught again in words and images that wanted to escape. "It won't make me stay," he managed to say.

"Why won't you stay? Here, with me." Riza wasn't going to back down. She had come under the goad of Jean Havoc's words working at her conscience and thoughts all day, and now she had started, she wasn't going to stop. "I love you."

"And if I don't stay will you still love me?" Roy asked through the seething emotions.

"Of course I will."

"Would you come with me?" He felt dizzy.

"What?"

"Would you come with me to the North?"

Riza paused stunned. Was he really being serious? She hadn't thought about going with him. She had thought he would stay here. She stared at him. He appeared sincere but the longer she remained silent the more there appeared a disconcerting tilt to his head.

"I didn't think so." His words broke the silence.

"I haven't said no!" she exclaimed.

"You didn't have to. Your pause was more than eloquent." A frown creased his forehead. "I once told you I loved you. You told me we were too young, that we had plenty of time. You never told me you loved me then and you never mentioned it again. Not even on that night in Ishbal when I begged you to leave. You kept on saying you had to stay by side. That it was duty, your service. It was never your love."

"It … it as all I could offer you. You became my commanding officer. You had a plan and a vision. And I could protect you. I promised you and my father to always be at your side."

"Every time I saw you there it was a reminder that I was just a duty. That you had made a promise not just to me but to your father as well. I didn't want you there because you had made a promise!" Roy's voice rose and he stood up. "I wanted you there because you loved me!"

Riza stared at him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'd already told you I loved you. Did you forget it?"

"But all the other women? Your plans?"

"I was supposed to sit back and wait for you?" There was a bite to his words and she stepped back. "You were the only woman who knew about my plans. Didn't that tell you anything? You've been remarkably blind or was it complacency? Did you think I would always be there?" The edge became more noticeable and Roy found himself at the mercy of the words inside him. The resentment bubbled over and he lashed out.

"I believed you _would_ always be there. You promised me that!" Riza snapped back at him. "You're the one leaving me behind."

"I asked you to come with me and you hesitated. Your sense of duty allows you to say you love me as long as we stay here? It's too late, Riza. It's too late for everything. Too late for me and too late for you."

Riza frowned. "Why is it too late?" The contemplative tone to his voice worried her. The life he had shown was ebbing away.

"You made me feel like I was an obligation you had to serve. You continually spoke of duty and service and protection. You said you'd be at my side, but you moved behind me, following wherever I went. You never once stood up and demanded anything for yourself. You became a colleague. You became just a friend. There's no love anymore."

Riza blanched. He hadn't seen her devoted service as a sign of her love? He hadn't seen her silence as a means to protect him? She had thought he had understood and accepted the reasons for her behaviour. Had she been wrong? How could she have gotten it wrong? Roy was smarter than that. He could not have thought that. He was just saying it so she wouldn't press him to stay.

"I don't believe you. You've always been too stubborn and steadfast in everything you do. You wouldn't change how you feel so easily."

"So easily? How long has it been? Ten years? Twelve? Even I have limits." Roy sighed and the fog crept back into him. "I'm tired, Riza. I don't love you and I'm not staying. I think it's time you left."

Riza stared at him. There was a pain in her chest that wasn't moving as she saw the distant look in his eye. The urge to scream at him, to break down and cry in front of him pushed hard at her self-control and she refused to let it win. Somehow she doubted it would affect him now. Maybe she should have done it a long time ago. He had always commented her on her self-control, she hadn't realised that perhaps it wasn't the compliment she had thought it to be. She took a deep breath.

"I was a fool to think that you still prized honesty. Perhaps that's the real betrayal."

Roy was silent as her words rolled over him. He recognised the hurt and pain. There was a part of him that wanted to reassure her but the fog was sucking him back in and despite everything he was not going to offer her any false hope. He had reached the end of his words. He had said what he had to and now she was going to leave and he would be able to leave and no-one was going to get hurt anymore.

Riza waited and waited but he remained silent. She wanted him to say something, to deny her words, to stop her from leaving. But he wasn't going to do that she realised with a sinking pain. He was going to let her go because he had already left her. She turned and went to the door. She paused but there was no sound behind her. She opened the door and slammed it behind her.

Roy sat down and looked at the door with an empty eye and mind. _I hurt her. Even without gloves I hurt people. Honesty. I'm a selfish bastard. I blamed her to protect myself. _

He reached out for the cat instinctively and it hissed at him even as he held it against him.

"Will I hurt you too? I've already let you down. When will it stop?"

Ed stopped hissing and laid his head against Roy's chest. He wanted to go and practise his scratching but he couldn't leave him like this. He didn't understand Roy at all anymore. He was still trying to take in all Hawkeye had said and Roy's replies had confused him. He had been telling the truth, but Ed had caught edges to some of the words. Roy had not been telling the whole truth. And Riza had been holding herself back as well. Why was everything changing again, he wondered. _When will it stop? Will it ever stop? How long will I be like this? I want…what I can not have. Stupid bastard, now you're making me depressed._

* * *

The Professor was out at the University and Alfons had gone to the workshop. There was no-one else around as Noa knelt by the sofa. She looked at the sleeping Al. It was mid-afternoon and he had fallen asleep after another all-nighter with Alfons. His breathing was soft and even and he was more relaxed than she had ever seen him. His hair was growing and it was falling across his face. She was used to the likeness between them now, but he looked even younger in his sleep. _This is how my Alfons would have looked when he was young. He is so innocent. Will I destroy that? _

A week had passed since she had met with Herr Haushofer and she knew that the young man, Herr Rudolf, would probably be waiting for her sometime tomorrow when she went shopping. They had given her a week to decide and they would want her answer. They had been honest with her as far as she could tell. Both in what they wanted and also in what would happen if she said anything.

She had been dubious and inclined to tell the Professor until the next day when she had received a letter from her family. Two of her sisters had been taken away 'and would be safe as long as their sister obeys' one of her aunts wrote. The uneasiness had become outright fear when she read it. The quiet casual threat had not been empty at all. Both her families were threatened.

The urge to tell the Professor had grown but she remembered the expression his face had held that day and she remembered his words. And she feared what would happen to him. That look of sacrifice was still vivid in her mind and she looked at Al again. How would he react if something happened to his father? She shivered. She'd already gathered that the two had been separated for many years. To have them parted again seemed too cruel. She felt Al's need for family every time she touched him. She couldn't let anything threaten that.

She reached out her hand and it hung an inch above his forehead.

All they wanted was to confirm that Al and the Professor came from another place, one so far away that it was untouched by the prejudices and persecutions she was familiar with. She already knew they were from somewhere else but she had never sought to find out more. And there was no way she could bring herself to touch the Professor again. It wasn't much they wanted. There didn't seem to be any harm in it but there was an uneasy sense of taking a first step into something terrible.

Her fingers rested on his smooth skin and she closed her eyes.

_This wasn't betrayal, was it?_

* * *

Envy slipped and found himself sliding down the side of the low sand dune. He managed to keep his balance and pulled the cloak tighter around him as he pulled his feet free of the soft sand. He could hear the sand shifting behind him as Wrath made his way down. Without looking back, Envy began to climb the next dune.

He was glad to finally be out of that damned city. Killing that soldier had set off an immediate city-wide search and Envy had used the accessible tunnels to keep him and Wrath from discovery. Calling for such a comprehensive search meant the perimeter patrols had been cut back and Envy had found that out as he had watched them. Three days after he had killed that soldier, he threatened Wrath to get him to move and set off into the desert.

He had taken a different angle to the military tracks but he could see them in the distance. He didn't want to risk being found and he knew they were highly visible at the moment. Common sense had never played a major part in his planning but this time he was going to have to use it. Another dune and he would get Wrath to dig them a shallow hole to spend the rest of the day in. Travelling at night and hiding during the day would make the trip longer, but Envy was not going to take any chances until he was out of this damned sandpit of a desert.

The sand got into his scaled lines and it was itching. He scratched and looked forward. He was going to Central.

* * *

Riza Hawkeye watched Roy Mustang as he read and signed reports and did his paperwork. Not once did he look at her with anything but that empty distant expression. It was as if she hadn't spoken and it hurt all over again. If it hadn't been his last day she might have found an excuse not to be here. He was the only who seemed untouched by that fact. Even the little cat seemed uneasy and it was often scratching at the desk.

Would the cat go with him she wondered. Of course it would she told herself. If she was going Hayate would go with her. And she would be glad to see the little animal go. He had witnessed too much lately. It was too sharp and it had seen Havoc's easy stripping away of her façade and it had seen Roy's dismissal of her confession. Every time she met that golden eye she was reminded and felt a wave of shame that it had seen her in such circumstances. It was irrational she knew, but there was a disconcerting directness to it's gaze and no amount of pride seemed to deflect it.

Riza tried to concentrate on her paperwork and gathered what strength she could. She was going to make it through this last day.

* * *

-

Karl Haushofer became disillusioned after Germany's loss and severe sanctioning, retiring with the rank of Major General in 1919. At this time, he forged a friendship with the young Rudolf Hess who would become his scientific assistant. In 1919 Haushofer became an associate professor for political geography at Munich University and in 1933 professor. Rumours are that he was once a student of George Gurdjieff - a Greek-Armenian mystic, a teacher of sacred dances, and a spiritual teacher. Others claim that he was a secret member of the Thule Society.

Rudolf Hess went to Munich after World War 1 and joined the _Freikorps_. He also joined the Thule Society. Hess enrolled in the University of Munich where he studied political science, history, economics, and geopolitics under Professor Karl Haushofer. After hearing Hitler speak in May 1920, he became completely devoted to his leadership. For commanding an SA battalion during the Beer Hall Putsch, Hess served seven and a half months in Landsberg prison. Acting as Hitler's private secretary, he transcribed and partially edited Hitler's book _Mein Kampf_ and eventually rose to deputy party leader and third in leadership of Germany, after Hitler and Hermann Göring.

Author's Note: Finally this is done… a week after I wanted but I've had so many distractions and various problems floating around and angst is something that takes me awhile to write... I'm not good with angst...lol...my profuse apologies for the delay…

On a brighter note, this little one turned one last week and I very fond of him still, despite his stubbornness at times… smiles… I've also gone through and done some adding and editing for the earlier chapters, most noticeably the last two where I've gone and reordered the sections to make the time line less confusing…there are no major changes, just hopefully a bit more depth and to fix a few errors I made…

Thank you all so much for your support and patience with me…

silken :)


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